Indefatigable
by TStabler
Summary: The word means incapable of being fatigued; tireless. It describes Special Ops Agent Benson and SVU Detective Stabler. When a task brings these two indefatigable people together, they find nothing can tear them apart. STORY BETTER THAN SUMMARY! AU E/O
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Words can not describe how utterly AU this is. It will eventually get to a "comfort zone" but the first several chapters will be totally different. Enjoy. =) **

**DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Intellectual Property belongs to TStabler©, for your enjoyment =)**

"No one gets in, no gets out, no one moves, no one even takes a breath without my consent. Am I clear?" Her subordinates muttered their agreement as they marched down the unfamiliar hallway and through the doors of the strange police precinct. "This is a joint effort. We're sharing the glory, but it's my show. If anyone dies, the blood's on my hands. I just got a manicure. Am I understood?" Again, the four people walking in step behind her shouted a terse and coordinated, "Yes, Ma'am." She stepped through the glass doors of the Special Victims Unit and held up a hand, her team stopping on a dime.

Brian Cassidy looked up and the file he'd been holding dropped to the floor. John Munch thought he was going to have a heart attack. Monique Jeffries scoffed and sipped her coffee like it was no big deal. Pete Breslin whistled and hooted.

Elliot Stabler, who was being outfitted in a bulletproof vest and extra weaponry, had died. Or, at least, he might as well have. His heart was racing, he couldn't feel his feet, his mouth went dry and he definitely was not suffering from any sort of erectile dysfunction. She was stunning. Her long, dark hair grazing her shoulders. Her lips looked to be just the right balance of pouty and taut. Her body was killer, tight in all the right places and curvy where it mattered.

Captain Don Cragen stepped up to her and held out a hand.

"Agent Benson, it is an honor to meet you. Thank you so much for stepping in and taking this case. I know it's trivial compared to what you normally face..."

She shook his hand, but did not smile. "Captain Cragen, you have three armed psychopaths holding a school full of children hostage. That is hardly trivial. Behind me," she said throwing a thumb over her shoulder, "Porter, Lewis, Hampton and Welken." As she said their names they raised their hands, like trained monkeys. "They're my team. They've got an entire mobile communications and forensics lab in the van outside and Porter's an ace with weapons. He can fire anything, including a bow and arrow if you've got it." She looked around at the motley crew of detectives, her eyes landing on Elliot. "I guess _that's_ coming with me?"

Elliot's eyebrows just about flew off the top of his head, before narrowing so low they almost touched his nose. "Excuse me?"

Cragen held up a hand, stilling Stabler. "Yes. This is an SVU case, you need one of my guys in there."

Cassidy spoke up as he rose off his desk. "Sir, I take back my initial 'no fucking way' and would like you to reconsider..."

"No."

"Okay, then." He sat back down and went back to staring at Agent Benson.

Porter pulled a high tech looking vest out of a black back and wrapped it snugly around Agent Benson's torso, while Lewis strapped various weapons and devices to the pockets and compartments, some snapping on, some zipping in, some even being held on by powerful magnets. Hampton strapped a funky looking watch on her wrist and Welken stuck a black hearing-aid-type device in her ear, pulling a thin, flexible wire out of it until it reached her cheekbone.

"Holy shit," Munch said. "She's a Transformer."

Agent Benson laughed. "Nope, I prefer the term _android_."

Munch gasped, clutching his chest. "And she's a Trekkie! Why is my dream-girl young enough to be my daughter?"

"Okay, Benson, ready." Porter said, moving the bag and preparing to move out.

"Sorry, I don't have time for introductions, but when we bag the bastard, I'll come back and get all of your names." She shot a glance at Elliot. "Ready?"

"Yeah, _this_ is good to go," he said with an attitude and a strong desire to take her up against the wall. What _was_ it with this woman?

"Good," Benson muttered as she began walking toward the exit. "Lewis, please give our guest The Five."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Elliot was pulled into a V-Formation with the agents. "The five? The five what?" he asked as he was sandwiched between Hampton and Welken.

Lewis, her long brown hair secured tightly in a bun, turned to Elliot. "You will not refer to Agent Benson as anything but 'Benson' while on task. You are her subordinate, you follow her orders. You will not try to be her hero, she can take care of herself. You are to continue on task if she gets hurt, do not stop to help her, the task comes first. And five, you do not argue with her, fighting distracts from the task. If you follow The Five, you'll get along fine."

He addressed Benson. "Wait, so I'm just supposed to leave you there if one of these guys shoots you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Agent Benson said unflappably. She led them out to the black van and slid the door open, climbing in first, signaling Elliot to get in next to her. Lewis and Porter joined them in the back. Hampton drove and Welken took shotgun. Elliot looked around the van and his head spun. There were several large and small computers and other high-tech devices hooked up to various ports and on one of the screens he saw...himself. But, only his right side. Agent Benson noticed him staring at it and laughed. "My earring. It's a camera." She flicked her ear and the image on the screen moved.

Elliot smirked at her. "Nifty."

She held out her hand to him. "Benson"

Taking her hand in his he replied, "Stabler"

"Yeah, I know who you are."

"How the hell? Oh, right, you people know everything about everyone, don't you?"

"Not everything. Are you married, Stabler? Children?" Benson asked as the van began to slow down. "I don't see how that is any of your business," he responded curtly, but silently prayed that she was asking because she wanted him as much as he discovered he wanted her.

"It isn't. But, there's a chance we're going to be losing some innocents today. That's _our_ term for what _you'd_ call an innocent victim," she clarified. "If you have a girlfriend, wife, whatever, Stabler, tonight will be one of those nights you need to go home and get good and fucked. Forget about the world a while."

His eyes widened and he coughed, laughing a little. "You're very blunt, Benson."

She smirked. "Thank you." The van stopped and the only two people getting out were Benson and Stabler. She climbed out first. "Follow me. Stay close. Don't do anything unless I tell you to do it. We're going into the coffee shop. The storage closet in the basement, if we blast it in the right spot, will lead us straight through to the boiler room of the school." Stabler looked at her, shook his head and cocked an eyebrow as he followed her into the building.

**A/N: So, how's that for a new spin on things?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm not out to offend anyone and I hope I do not. But, it's a heinous SVU/Special Agent case. I think I handled it with care.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't think these are exactly what Dick Wolf created but he shall get credit nonetheless. All else, as you know, belongs to me, TStabler©. **

"We're really going to blow up a wall?" Elliot asked, holding the grey clay and wires she'd given him a few minutes ago.

"Either that or we're making one very pretty Play-Doh sculpture." Elliot chuckled. This woman was a conundrum. Bad-ass, beautiful, smart, sassy, sexy, and…cute. "Red." She held out her hand and he placed a red wire into her open palm. She pressed one end of the wire into the grey clay and twisted the other around the loose ends of the other wires. "Green."

He handed her a green wire and she repeated the process. "C-four." Elliot pulled a chuck of the clay off the brick and handed it to her and she pressed it over the center of the already thick lump on the wall. "Okay, and charge," Benson ordered. Elliot handed her an electronic device with a tiny antenna on it. She pressed it firmly into the pile and pressed a button. "Stabler, you're going to want to stand back."

They moved back against the far wall and Elliot, unable to control himself, wrapped a protective arm around her. Benson, excited by the physical contact, but not allowing it to affect her, pushed a button on a remote and the wall was blown to bits. "Benson! Benson, report," Porter's voice commanded into her earpiece. "All clear, Porter. We're fine. This is not the first wall I've demolished. Please, quit acting like a worried mother."

"Yes, Ma'am"

"Stabler, put the explosives back in the bag and leave them right there. Lewis will come in and get them. Then, we go through the wall."

"Please?" he suggested with an expectant expression. The glare he got in return not only told him she was not going to say please, but it also fueled his raging hard-on. "Or not," he muttered as he did as he was told and followed her through the wall. As promised, they were in the basement of the school. The pipes were intertwined, looping and twisting above their heads. "Welken, where am I heading here?"

"Straight ahead, the door on the left, take the stairs. The un-subs are in the gym. They have the kids playing hop scotch."

"That doesn't sound too devious, if you think..."

"Naked."

"Okay, I spoke too soon." She relayed the information to Elliot and he grimaced. Benson drew one of her many guns as they climbed the stairs. Elliot had his drawn as well, ready to shoot. "Do not shoot until I say so, Stabler. If we fire, they will start shooting those children."

"I'm not new at this, ya know, Benson."

"Hey, rule number five, no arguing."

"I wasn't arguing, I was just..."

"Hey!" She narrowed her eyes at him and he shut up, with a small smirk on his lips. She gently pushed the stairwell door open and saw that one of the men was standing guard outside the gymnasium doors. "Okay, you need to be quiet and you need to be invisible. Get me?"

"Quiet, Invisible. Easy. If you're a ghost," he said rolling his eyes. "I can't just shoot the fucker?"

"No, you can't just shoot the fucker. Where the hell were you trained? Guantanamo? You will go that way," she said, pointing to the left, "And stay up against the wall. I will distract our little friend, and when I have him weak enough, we attack, noiselessly, then get into the gym."

Elliot sighed, then nodded. "Okay." He slithered out of the doorway and, staying to the left, he sidled against the wall, as he watched Benson step out, in plain sight, in the middle of the hallway, right up to the man with the gun. The man turned and saw her. She tossed her hair behind her head and smiled at him, licking her lips. He smiled back, but caught something move out of the corner of his eye. Elliot. The un-sub turned and spoke, raising his gun. "What the..." Benson's hand came in contact with his nose before he could finish speaking. Spinning a half-a-turn, she swung an arm back elbowing him in the thorax, then spun around, fully facing him and gripped his neck, pressing three fingers into a pressure point. He fell limply to the floor.

Benson picked up his gun and handed it to Elliot. "What the hell was that?" he asked her, trying to wrap his head around what he'd just seen.

"Improvising," she said with a shrug. "Come on." They peeked through the gymnasium doors and saw two naked men, holding guns, watching several naked children play hopscotch, jump rope and do jumping jacks. They were all crying, which seemed to be bothering the un-subs. "Jesus, Stabler." Benson tapped a button on her watch, signaling Lewis to dial in.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Do we know what these men want?"

"Yes. Terrance Vanderon, the blonde man, had a child that attended this school. His son, Samuel, was sexually assaulted by his gym teacher and no one did anything about it, because no one believed him."

Benson looked down at her watch, which was really a fully functional computer, and a personell file on Samuel Vanderon scrolled across the screen. "No one believed him because of his mental handicap."

"Yes, Benson. So, the child became depressed and two weeks ago, the young man killed himself. This is Vanderon exacting his revenge. Will you be calling in Huang to evaluate?"

"Most likely. Thanks, Lewis."

"Did you get all of that, Stabler?" Elliot looked at her and nodded solemnly. "He isn't going to hurt those children." Again, Elliot just nodded. Rule number five. Do not argue. They pushed the doors open silently, in perfect sync, aiming their guns.

"Terrance," Benson's voice rang out into the gym. "You need to stop. Look at what you're doing to the children, Terrance. You're traumatizing these poor kids."

He spun around, raising his gun to her. "What about what was done to my son?"

"You had to know the school would cover it up, Terrance. They always do, but I know Samuel was a victim. A very special one. Did you report it to the police? They would have taken the case seriously."

"No! I went to the cops, they didn't do shit!" Terrance moved two steps backward, but did not drop his gun. It was still aimed at Benson.

"Terrance, my name's Elliot," he said in a cool tone. Benson flinched. Damn it. Why did he have to say his first name? "I'm an SVU detective, we handle cases like your son's, and this is the first I've heard about what happened to Samuel. I swear, if the case would have reached our department we would have helped him," Elliot said inching closer.

Terrance laughed evilly aiming his gun at Elliot now. "I went to your department. I talked to a guy named Breslin. He laughed in my face and told me to take my little retarded liar home. So, really, this is all _your_ fault detective." He cocked the trigger but before he could pull it, Benson shot Terrance. Once in the hand, forcing him to drop his gun, and once in the leg to disable him.

Benson's eyes widened. "Stabler. Two o'clock. Shoot!" Elliot immediately shifted his gaze and pulled his trigger, shooting the other un-sub in the shoulder before he could fire his weapon. Elliot ran over and cuffed them both and read them their rights as Benson's team came running in. With the un-subs taken down, Benson started ripping the curtains off of the windows and wrapping them around the helpless children. Elliot took a deep breath and looked over at her, marveling at her. A few minutes ago she had brought a man twice her size to his knees with her bare hands, which were registered lethal weapons, and now here she was calming down sixteen hysterical children. They flocked to her. Taking turns hugging her and thanking her. Elliot was absolutely amazed.

Porter and Lewis had found an open classroom and filed the children into it, while Welken and Hampton located the snack machines. A team of medics had come in with jumpsuits for them and the uniformed officers that had been stationed outside came in to cart the three perps away. Benson looked around the gym and gasped when she saw a pile of gym towels that just seemed off to her. She ran over to it and moved a few towels and closed her eyes. "Stabler," she shouted.

Elliot ran over to her and looked down, seeing what she saw. "Oh, my God." Again, because he was so used to doing so, he placed his arm around Benson's shoulders and squeezed. He felt her tense up immediately, but she relaxed after a few seconds, scooting closer. She needed a bit of comfort right now.

Benson clicked another button on her watch and contacted Porter.

"Yes, Benson?"

"Porter, we're gonna need the medical examiner."

**A/N: Cliffhanger….kind of…Reviews? Perhaps?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Now, they get a bit personal and we get more insight into the rest of our little friends. Thanks for reading, as always, guys, but please don't hate on the imagination and creative process. **

**DISCLAIMER: I'm taking liberties with characters created by Dick Wolf. The story and scenarios, dialogue and plot, writing etc. are mine. I love them. TStabler©**

Cragen had been yelling at Breslin for hours for his reprehensible actions. Ed Tucker, IAB Sergeant, was pacing back and forth trying to figure out how to write up the paperwork without it looking like IAB was at fault for an ignored molestation allegation. Jeffries, the SVU's only female detective, was shooting daggers at Benson. Why was she still here? Oh, right, the case wasn't over. Benson follows her cases through to the end. Cassidy was staring at Benson, too, but didn't care _why_ she was she here. Only that she was. He could stare at her all damn day. He licked his lips and imagined what her kiss tasted like. What about other parts of her body?

Munch poured her a cup of coffee and she smiled at him ash she took it from his fragile looking hands. "Thanks, Munch."

He winked at her, but you couldn't really tell since he was wearing dark sunglasses. "Sure, Agent Benson."

"Please, it's just Benson," she said as she sipped her coffee. She tried to control the urge to gag while her face remained perfectly stoic. "The only people who call me Agent Benson are my superior officers and people who are desperately seeking my approval."

"You have superior officers? I thought you were the mother fucking queen," Jeffries said with a snicker.

Benson, narrowed her eyes but otherwise ignored her. "Has anyone seen Stabler?"

Munch pointed up the stairs. "Either the cribs or the gym. First or third door."

"Thanks." She placed the cup of what no human would consider coffee on the desk in front of her and climbed the steps. She knocked on the first door. Nothing. She took a few steps and knocked on the third. "Hrmph, yeah?" She eased the door open and her breath hitched. She knew he'd be working out, but she didn't expect him to be doing it shirtless. The man was pure muscle, and every time he hit the punching bag she saw those muscles writhe and ripple beneath his skin, stirring up feelings she hadn't felt in a very long time. She wanted to touch him. _Really _touch him.

"Stabler?" she asked, her voice coming out throaty, husky, oozing with sex.

He stopped moving at the sound of her voice. He turned around, it seemed to be in slow motion, and looked at her. She had been divested of all her gadgets and gizmos and her blazer must have been downstairs because she was standing before him in just her white button down shirt and black slacks and he swore he'd never seen anyone look so elegant.

"Benson." He smiled at her, licked his lips, still breathing heavily.

God, he looked good sweaty. She smirked as her mind quickly listed thirty-five other ways she could make him sweat. Pushing those thoughts away, she spoke. "How are you?"

"Really? You're concerned for my emotional well being?" It came out more accusatory than he'd meant, and he thought, for an instant, her face showed a glimmer of emotion. Hurt, maybe?

"Well, yes, Stabler. Losing a child is always rough. You're obviously blowing off steam and I feel like I should..."

"Don't talk to me like one of your agents, Benson. You wanna talk to me? Then you talk to me like you'd talk to a new friend."

She stared at him. Blankly. "Well, that's going to be a very awkward conversation, Stabler."

"Why?"

She furrowed her brow and took a step toward him. "I don't, um, I don't do the whole 'friend' thing. I'm not good with personal connection. People tend to run away from me when they start to really know me." He wiped the sweat of his brow with a towel and laughed. "I can't imagine anyone running away from you. I mean, unless you were chasing after them on a, what do you call it? A task?"

"Yeah. Tasks." She sighed and took a light swat at the punching bag, and though she barely hit it, it swung. "Stabler, most people don't like me. Or they don't stick around long enough to figure out if they do or not. The job, it scares people off, ya know? The people around me lived in fear, every day, that I was going to get myself shot, stabbed, blown up, tortured or otherwise killed, so they all just gave up." She took another hit at the bag, a harder one, making it move back and forth wildly. "I have yet to meet a single person who is willing to deal with it long enough to be considered a friend. I spoke to you like one of my agents, just now, Stabler, because they're the only people I really speak to, so formal conversation is the only kind I'm capable of having."

"What do you call this?" he asked with a smirk.

She laughed and made a funny face at him as she replied, "Therapy." She stepped around to the front of the bag and held his gaze. "I really did come in here because I was worried about you, Stabler. I was serious when I asked if you had someone to go home to, because I don't, and days when I lose an innocent, especially a child, are the nights that I wish I had someone waiting for me, to tell me it wasn't my fault, and that it's all gonna be okay."

The human side of Agent Benson. It was beautiful. Elliot took a step forward, still looking into her eyes, and rested a hand on her shoulder. Again, she stiffened at his touch, but he simply stroked his thumb along the groove of her collar bone, causing her pulse to quicken but her muscles to relax. "It wasn't your fault. The kid was dead long before we even got there. It is going to be okay, because you, Benson, are one kick-ass woman and the world would be in great peril if it decided to fuck with you." She smiled warmly, a bit sadly, and said a quiet, "Thank you."

"I don't have anyone waiting for me at home, either. Not anymore. The reasons you have for not having friends are the reasons I don't have any either. This job has side-effects. For the record, I like you. I'm willing to stick around long enough to be considered a friend."

She reached up and grabbed the hand that was still resting on her shoulder, holding it, amazed at its strength and roughness even though she hadn't really expected it to be soft. He looked down at her, a good long look, and he felt his heart crack. She had the most radiant smile he'd ever seen. He was also praying she didn't look down because his painfully hard erection, that he'd been sporting all day, was still holding on and was now twitching because of their close proximity.

"Stabler," she began, but he cut her off.

He squeezed her hand. "Okay, you have your five rules. I get the whole 'only refer to her as Benson while on task' crap, but being your friend isn't a damn task. Call me Elliot."

"Oh, wow. Um, hold on. Gimme a second." She took a deep breath. "This is kind of like going skydiving, ya know? You're scared shitless until you jump and then it's the biggest thrill of your life." Elliot laughed at her metaphor and her adorable bout of nerves and squeezed her hand again. "Okay, Elliot. Hey, look at that!"

He smiled at her and let out a low chuckle, "Good job, uh...um...do I still have to call you Benson?"

"Well, in front of other people, yes. No one uses my first name. Not since high school."

"Okay, so I'll just use it when we're alone which, I hope, will be quite often." The way he looked at her just then made her legs weak. "My name's Olivia," she whispered, leaning into him to regain her balance. "Beautiful," he whispered back, leaning into her in response. He was so close. His bare skin against her crisp white shirt, their hands still linked. "Me or the name?" she asked playfully, a glimmer in her eye as she realized his face was mere inches from hers.

"Both." He was being pulled toward her like a gun toward the magnets on her task vest. Uncontrollable, unstoppable, unrelenting. Neither one resisted, neither one stopped. His lips brushed feather-lightly over hers. The powerful beating pounded in both of their ears, because their hearts were threatening to burst out of their chests, they could feel each other's pulse, _that's _how _close_ they were and as Elliot Stabler was finally going to kiss this incredible woman and maybe find a little comfort in someone who could understand him, as Olivia Benson was going to push a boundary and let her guard down, their beautiful moment was interrupted by a thunderous gunshot coming from the squadroom downstairs.

**A/N: Who shot whom? What happened? How are two volatile people going to react to being interrupted? Review! Then read chapter 4! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here, we discover a secret connection and discover that there's an opening in SVU. But, will Agent Benson take it? **

**DISCLAIMER: Characters are Dick Wolf's, Story and other such goodies are TStabler's©**

Not skipping a beat, Benson was back in "Agent Mode" the second she'd heard the shot, pushing away from Elliot so quickly it was as if she hadn't been there at all. She picked up his shirt off of the bench and threw it to him as she walked out of the workout room, Elliot following close behind her. Benson pulled an unpretentious silver gun out of her pocket as they descended the stairs and aimed it out in front of her. "What happened?" She didn't ask. She demanded to know. She walked over to the man lying on the floor and shuffled in the glass shattered at his feet. He looked up at her with fear in his eyes, terrified that she was going to shoot him again and he whimpered.

"Breslin pulled his gun on Cragen, Munch shot him." Cassidy proffered.

Benson dropped her gun and looked at Munch, then at the captain's office door. "That was one hell of a shot, Munch. Clean through the glass, right to the shoulder. I'm not easily impressed, but you've done it." She slapped the older man on the arm, smiled and winked at him, making him blush a bit.

"Was nothing, really, anyone would have done it. It was Cap's life at risk in there," Munch said humbly. Benson looked at Breslin, lying on the floor, then looked up at Ed Tucker and Agent Porter. She nodded, only once, at Porter, who smiled evilly and wrapped a hand around Breslin's collar, pulling the wounded man to his feet.

"Time to go, Breslin," Porter said, violently dragging him out of the bullpen. Hampton and Lewis smirked at each other, then at Benson, then followed Porter and their new criminal out of the precinct.

Cragen looked at Benson with suspicious eyes. "What are you going to do with him?"

"I could tell you," she said with a straight face, "But then I'd have to kill you, and Munch's great shot would have been in vain." There were laughs from everyone, except Jefferies, who scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Double-Oh-Seven, case closed. You can take you're little team of wannabe G.I. Joe's and skedaddle. We've had fun watching you and Stabler play ninja-crime-fighter, but we have real work to do," the woman declared viciously as she skulked over to the coffee counter and poured herself a mug.

"Jeffries!" Cragen's voice was sharp. Penetrating. Offended and offending. "You do not speak to a superior officer that way, and you do not speak to a guest and a friend of mine in that manner, either. Agent Benson is welcome to stay as long as she wants."

"It's okay, Captain," Benson said in an even, official voice. "Oh, Jeffries, if my agents wanted to be like G.I Joe, they would have joined the Army." She smirked, then continued. "We turn down thousands of applicants from the Army every year because they're not good enough." Jefferies took her mug, and, without looking at Benson, walked back to her desk mumbling an apology to her captain, who then turned on his heels and slammed the door to his office, causing the remaining shards of glass to fall to the floor.

Cassidy whooped and hollered. "She told you, Jeffries!" The young detective bounced off of his desk and walked over to Benson, tossing a ball up and catching it. He put his arm around her and grinned boyishly. "So, Benson, what do you say you and I blow this popsicle stand and…"

"No." It was direct. Clear. She didn't even think about it.

"Okay then," he said with a shocked expression. "Might I ask why?"

"I'm getting married," she said unwaveringly. She didn't exactly lie. She had every intention of getting married. Someday. She knew that this was the only thing she could say that would ward off this guy's advances indefinitely.

"Oh, I, uh, didn't know that. So, if you ever want to cheat on that guy, you know where to find me." Cassidy winked at her and then strutted back to his desk. Elliot, who had been standing behind her, leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You're getting married?"

"No. Just said it so that guy would stop trying to get in my pants. Clearly, it did not work." She turned to him and picked a piece of lint off of his tee shirt. It was such a simple thing, but it meant so much to both of them. "I will be right back," she said with a small smile. "I have to take care of something with Captain Cragen, and then we'll get dinner before I go back to HQ. We have unfinished business."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty perfect." He watched her march off, in her official "agent" walk, into Cragen's office. Opening the door, she gave Captain Cragen a sheepish grin. "Captain?"

He smiled. It was sad, sympathetic, hopeful, proud, loving and grateful all at once. "Drop the formalities. We're alone in this office." He rose from his seat, walked over to her and hugged her. "How have you been, aside from becoming the most admired, respected and feared woman in law enforcement?"

"Oh, um, ya know. The usual. Lonely, bitter, contemplating getting fifty-three cats and a pick-up truck," she joked. "But, good. Healthy, breathing. How are you, Uncle Don?"

"Can't complain. Listen, I know we don't talk as much as we should…"

"At all," she corrected. He looked up at her apologetically. "We don't talk at all."

"Yeah," he sighed, "But half the time I don't even know where you are or how to find you. I had to call three different FBI Informants before I found you to get your unit here today, and they only gave me your direct line because it was an emergency."

"You can't find people who don't want to be found," she told him. "Especially, if they don't want people who've abandoned them to find them."

Cragen nodded and made a small declarative gesture. "I deserve that. I do. I want to offer you, if you'll take it, Breslin's empty desk. I know you can't give up what you've got and stay here full-time, you're too important a person, but I'm asking you to take it on as, well, almost a second job. Be available when we have hard cases. Be here for the innocent ones, the children, Olivia."

She looked at him with a contemplative expression, seriously considering the potential additional career opportunity. She'd always been amazing with the innocents, particularly young ones, and her victim-consoling skills were often put on the back burner while on task. This would be her chance to use them more often. "Okay. On three conditions."

"Name them."

"You inform your unit that I'm still Special Ops Agent Benson, just doing them a favor till you find a permanent replacement for Breslin, so Jeffries doesn't get her nose out joint thinking that I'm taking over as head bitch around here. Two, you get a goddamn espresso machine in here because that shit Munch made almost killed me. Three, if I go anywhere, or do anything, requiring back-up, assistance, or other partnership, it's Stabler."

With a huge smile on his face, Cragen slapped his hands to his thighs and exhaled deeply. "That can all be arranged. We'll tell them now, then you can go inform your unit and finish things on your head."

"I'll be requiring Stabler's assistance," she said quickly, but firmly.

"Of course. He can certainly join you." Cragen opened the door, leading her out into the bullpen, and cleared his throat. His squad looked up as he addressed them. "Agent Benson, at my request, has agreed to come in as Breslin's replacement…"

"Temporary replacement," she corrected.

Cragen glanced at her sideways and said it again, bitterly. "_Temporary_ replacement, when we need the help. She'll be working with the victims…"

"Innocents."

"Whatever…when we are ill equipped to handle them. Stabler," Cragen said as he walked, leading Benson over to him. "Here's your new partner."

"Temporary partner." Benson was talking to Cragen, but her eyes were glued to Elliot's. He grinned, smugly, and shook her hand.

Walking back into his office, Cragen shouted over his shoulder, "Whatever," and slammed the door. He smiled to himself as he sat behind his desk, knowing that nothing his niece ever did was ever temporary.

**A/N: Ohhh, click the green button and chapter 5 is yours! Or, just read it. It's up. But, I'd like the review anyway!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is a bit longer than the previous chapters, and is purely Liv and El. This is a hard-hat area. Watch out for falling SMUT, but only little pebbles. If you're afraid if such things, feel free to simply stop at the line...but you'll be missing some pretty good stuff!**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters and I own the overtly complicated and contrived saga they're in right now. All rights reserved. TStabler©**

They'd left the precinct and went to Benson's HQ first, spending an hour filling out task evaluation forms, incident reports, and they had to sign evidence rosters and their personal accounts. Elliot had to be debriefed, being forced to sign a confidentiality waiver and anti-disclosure form stating that anything he and Benson said or did while on task was not to be discussed with anyone who was not in Special Ops or SVU. Like he even_ knew_ anyone who wasn't.

The diner they'd stepped into was rather quiet for a Saturday night. But, maybe, it was because Olivia Benson had just walked in. She commanded attention, damn it! All eyes were on her. Elliot, unfazed by the prying eyes, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a booth in the middle of the restaurant. He slid in, across from her, and signaled for the waitress, who came over immediately.

"Elliot Stabler, how the hell are ya?' the older woman said as she flipped her pad open.

"Fine, Judith, thanks. I think we both want coffee and I'm gonna have the chili-burger with everything, cheese on the fries, no pickle, make the chili extra spicy."

"You got it, sugar. And for the lady?" Judith looked at Olivia. Elliot looked at Olivia, too, and winked, which took her by surprise.

She smiled at him, then turned to the waitress. "Grilled chicken and steamed vegetables."

Judith looked at her like she had two heads. "Is that really all you're going to eat?"

"Yes. Is that going to be a problem?" Olivia raised an eyebrow and gave the waitress a threatening look. Judith gulped. "No, not at all. I will be right back." She walked briskly toward the back of the restaurant and handed the chef the ticket. Olivia watched the frazzled woman pour their coffee and scuttle back to their table, plopping down the cups with a smile before walking off.

"So, Olivia, that's a pretty light dinner you ordered," Elliot said as he reached for his coffee, but grabbed her hand instead. Still not used to this type of behavior, Olivia flinched, but let him take it. "Yeah, I live on protein and vegetables. It converts to muscle, not fat, if you work it off fast enough, so it keeps me fast and strong. I need to stay on top of my game, Elliot. I don't have the luxury of being able to eat a chili burger and fries, "she said with a silly grin. "I would lose crucial minutes off my speed, and it would go straight to my hips."

"You are such a girl," he said with a laugh, stroking her hand absentmindedly with his thumb.

"You noticed."

He gazed into her eyes and said, "I noticed the moment you walked into the bullpen, Olivia." She studied his face, her training in behavioral analysis kicking in, and saw that he was genuinely happy, not trying to hide anything, and completely comfortable with her. Judith came by with their food and they pulled their hands apart, reluctantly, so they could eat. Olivia was utterly shocked at the way Elliot dove into his burger, taking large, messy bites, and the way he inhaled the cheesy, greasy, fries. Elliot, on the other hand, was amazed at the way Olivia cut her chicken into perfectly even pieces, chewing each exactly thirty-nine times before swallowing. Not that he was counting her chews on purpose, he just couldn't take his eyes off her mouth. He remembered how close he'd come to kissing those perfect lips and he whimpered, loud enough to earn a raised eyebrow from his companion. "Something wrong?"

"Hot burger," he said, drinking his coffee and swallowing hard.

"Well, you did ask the waitress to make it extra spicy." She reached a hand over the table and found a fry, one that was not covered in cheese or chili or ketchup, and Elliot watched as the skinny potato slid between her cherry lips. "I thought you were worried about your speed and your hips," he teased, watching her chew. "What can I say, Elliot? You have this habit of making me do things that are grossly out of character. You're using my first name and I'm sitting in a public place, for a social reason not a task. It's a good thing you didn't order buffalo wings. You'd really see me go to hell with myself," she said with a wink.

Judith walked by and slid the check on the table, and in an instant two hands, from opposite sides of the table, slammed down on it. "I got it, Olivia."

"No, Elliot, seriously, it's taken care of."

"Olivia, you're being silly. Give me the bill."

"Elliot, you're not supposed to argue with me, remember?"

"This isn't a task, Liv, I insist on paying for this. This was kind of a date, right?"

"Date or not, El, I have a Special Ops credit card, neither one of us will be paying for this, trust me." She looked up at him and her eyes widened as he let the check slip out from under his hand and into her grasp. "What did you just call me?"

"I'm not sure, it kinda just slipped out. You called me what, exactly?"

She looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed and very angry with herself. "Nothing, forget it," she muttered. She took the check and forged to the counter. Too close. Too fast. Why did she let him get to her this way? She slapped the black plastic card on the counter and felt him behind her. His hot breath in her ear was giving her the chills. "Liv. That's what I called you, Liv. It just felt so…"

"Natural," she said. "Yeah. That's exactly what happened when I called you 'El', El." She signed the receipt with a flourish, her last name only, and stuck the card back into her pocket. Elliot led her outside and opened the car door for her, making sure she was buckled in before he closed it. He walked around and climbed into the driver's side, started the car and asked for her address, which she spat out quickly without thinking. Elliot balked a little, recognizing the lavish neighborhood immediately, but drove away without a word.

He pulled up to the immaculate building and stopped the car, expecting her to get out and say goodnight, but she surprised him. "Do you want to come in? For coffee?" Her tough exterior didn't fool him. This was as close to admitting that she didn't want to be alone as she would come. "Yeah, definitely." He put the car into park and got out, following closely behind her, a brand new habit, up to the front door. She pressed a hand to a panel on the side of the door. It scanned her palm, beeped cheerfully and the door slid open. As she led him through the lobby, everyone they passed said, the doorman, the people walking through the corridor, the apartment staff, they all said "Good Evening, Agent Benson," as she nodded and swiftly walked toward the elevator.

Again, she scanned her palm to access the lift. The doors opened, welcoming the pair into the tiny unit, and they closed promptly. Elliot noticed there were no buttons in the elevator, but it moved of its own accord, going up very fast and coming to an abrupt stop. The doors opened and Elliot gasped. He stepped out of the lift and into the biggest penthouse he'd ever seen. Granted, he hadn't seen that many, but really, this was marvelous. The things that one was given when they were practically owned by the government filled Olivia's elegantly decorated, full floor, apartment, including, he noticed, all of the spectacular equipment he'd seen on her vest and in the van.

She stepped into the kitchen and pushed a button on a futuristic-looking machine, then came back toward him with a smile. "Coffee will be done in a moment."

"Liv, this place is ridiculous." He looked around trying to see all four corners of the penthouse, scanning the entire area, and his eyes finally came to rest on Olivia. "Really."

"I know, it's a bit much." She looked up and her eyes met his. She didn't know what hit her. His eyes took her breath away. The cerulean blue with flecks of turquoise amazed her and she couldn't catch her breath. "El," she said breathlessly. He looked at her and he, too, stooped breathing. "What, Liv?" She wasn't sure why her brain told her hand to grab Elliot's neck and pull, and she wasn't completely certain exactly which synapse fired and told her mouth to capture his, and she damn sure didn't know which cerebral function caused her to lick the man's bottom lip, effectively deepening the kiss when he opened his mouth and touched the tip of his tongue to hers, sending shockwave's through her confused, uncertain, malfunctioning system.

* * *

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and explored her mouth, trying to swallow her whole, it seemed. My god, this is what he'd been waiting for, and it had been worth the delay. This kiss, this one passionate, mind-blowing kiss had been better than every sexual experience of his twenty-seven years combined. He trailed one hand up from her back to the top of her head and fisted a few locks of her hair, fingering the silky strands and putting a bit of pressure on her clap, deepening the scorching kiss even more. When she moaned into his mouth, every bit of restraint was gone, as if his cock told his conscience to fuck off.

He pulled his lips from hers and kissed a path of small smooches across her chin and down her neck, finding her pulse, which was racing. "El," she said, moaning again when he starting sucking and biting on her rapidly beating neck, "I didn't, God, bring you up here for this, Jesus. I really did, oh, damn, that feels so good, just want coffee." Ripping his mouth off of her jugular, like a sated vampire, he said, "Fuck the coffee, Liv." His mouth crashed down on hers again, and this time, they both moaned, and their hands groped helplessly, trying to find somewhere to land that wouldn't get them into trouble, as if they weren't in any already. Elliot took the bull by the horns and slid his hands between Olivia's jacket and shirt, sliding the blazer down her shoulders, and she didn't stop it from falling off of her arms and to the floor.

She took two steps forward, and like a good follower, he moved back, stopping only when he was shoved against the wall. The picture frame to his left crashed to the ground with a shatter as Olivia ripped his shirt out of his pants and pulled it up, forcing them to stop kissing to toss it over his head. She threw it over his shoulder and shivered as she raked her nails down his bare chest, eliciting a hiss from him. "Do you like that shirt?" he asked with a mischievous grin. "I have fifty exactly like it, why?" In lieu of an answer he gripped the sides, one hand on either breast, and, ignoring the harsh gasp from Olivia he ripped his hands and the shirt apart, sending buttons flying in every direction. He, then, pulled the shirt off of her completely, and pulled her to him for another kiss. He peered down at her as he pulled away and let his left hand trickle quickly up the right side of her stomach. She hitched, it tickled, but his hand traveled onward and upward coming to a stop on her silk bra. He squeezed lightly, then cupped her breast, allowing his thumb and forefinger to come together in the middle pinching her nipple ever-so-lightly.

"Oh, my God," she whispered. He smirked, and kissed her as he rolled her nipple between his fingers, moving his other hand to the clasp of her black slacks. Still kissing, still loving the way she was moaning into his mouth, he pinched her nipple a bit harder as he flicked the clasp open and unzipped the fly on her pants. He slid his hand inside to push them down and decided to take her panties along with them. She moaned louder as she realized what he was doing, and as her pants slid freely down her hips and dropped to her ankles she worked the buckle on his belt open, unzipped his jeans and slid both of her delicate hands inside, helping them off, so they could join hers on the wood below. She nibbled on his lower lip as she stepped out of her pants and kicked off her heels. Still pressing Elliot up against the wall, needing to be in control, needing to remain the task leader, she tried to focus on the emotions and feelings and the connection. She hadn't felt anything like this in so long, and now it was happening so fast, she worried that if she stopped, even for a moment, it would all go away. She wormed a hand down into his boxers and felt the throbbing, hardened, huge treasure that was waiting for her.

He pulled back from the kiss and gasped. "Oh, fuck, Liv." He still had his arms around her, but he looked at her, she was standing there, pressed against him, her hand caressing his swollen member, with a dazed, drugged, wonton look in her eyes. His hands moved and in a flash her bra was off. She had to remove her hand from his cock so he could get the thing off of her, which made them both moan in protest, but the brief separation gave Elliot the chance to see her completely nude form. She was a goddess, and he was going to treat her like one tonight.

**A/N: Huzza! Review! Then read the next chapter to get to the, erm, Main Event. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Everybody wearing their protective headgear? SMUT falls in larger chunks in this chapter, and there's no warning, we just start there. (So you can scroll to the end-SMUT line if you're squeamish)**

**DISCLAIMER: The characters are still Mr. Wolf's and the story is still Ms. TStabler's©. **

Why had he stopped? Why was he looking at her like that? Behavioral analysis. Yes. She scanned his body . He was definitely still aroused. His eyes were several shades darker than they had been when they met, telling her he was stimulated to excess and she had felt his strong, definitely-ready-for-action erection. His hands were laying gently at her hips and his feet, now bare, were planted firmly on the floor, facing her, so he was not planning on running away. She wasn't sure why she was waiting for him, actually. She was the one in control here. Her hand glided up his body, sending shivers down it, and her fingers frolicked happily through his short hair. She pressed her body against his once more, binding them in another frenzied kiss. Dueling tongues and clicking teeth, nibbling and biting, moaning and laughing and smiling and more moaning.

Elliot tugged town his boxers and, tired of being up against the wall, he snaked an arm around Olivia and spun them, effectively kicking his shorts off and swapping their positions at once. Both naked, they could feel every glorious inch of each other, and they certainly tried to do that. It wasn't slow and gentle, but it wasn't careless and hostile. It was eager and passionate and maddening, as they ran their hands over every curve and muscle of the other's body. Elliot, the dominant one now, smirked against Olivia's lips as his hand moved from her sweet, tight, muscular, but somehow, still soft, stomach to the completely bare, pulsating, slit between her legs.

He teased her a bit, skirting around her inner thighs as he tugged on her bottom lip. "You want this, Liv?" he asked, bringing his hand directly in front of her core. He could feel her heat and wetness already and her hadn't really touched her yet.

"Special Ops agents never start what they do not intend to finish," she said grinning slyly and thrusting her hips forward trying to force his hand where she so desperately wanted it.

"That's not what I asked you, Liv." He let one finger slide in between her folds and he moaned at the feeling, the vast wetness, that he, alone, had brought on. "Christ, baby."

She, too, moaned. A deep groan from the pit of her belly. She didn't even know she could make that noise. "Yes, El, I want this." She clutched the sides of his face and looked him in the eyes and willed him to believe. "I want you." He slipped his finger in, completely, and they both cried out. He kissed her as he pushed another finger into her, making her whimper and shiver, and he began thrusting his digits, in and out, rhythmically, to the beat of his thumping heart.

A leg wound itself around Elliot's waist, opening Olivia wider to him. She pulled him closer with her powerful lower extremity. Her hands let go of his head and she dragged her nails down his back, then up digging her nails in a bit. "Oh, fuck, that's incredible," he said against her lips, still shoving his powerful, long fingers in and out of her juicy center. He swiped his thumb against her clit, earning a breathy squeal and her nails dug in further. He found each time he repeated the action she'd dig a little deeper, so he attacked the bundle of nerves relentlessly. "Come on, Liv. Cum for me, baby."

He flicked his thumb over it vigorously, fingering her faster and faster, not stopping until her nails broke through the skin on his shoulders and she screamed his name in an intense, powerful release. "Mother fucker," she panted, coming down from the incredible high, his fingers pumping in and out, slowly, calming her down but keeping her revved up at the same time. When he stopped, he pulled his hand away slowly, and brought them to his lips, cleaning them off one by one, sucking them like popsicles. "Goddamn, Liv, you taste like heaven."

"That was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my entire life," she said, holding on to him for support because her legs had turned to jelly. "Well, don't count your chickens, Liv. They haven't all hatched, yet." He smiled devilishly at her, and leaned in close. He bit her earlobe gently, whispering, "You were the one who said that if we lost an innocent today, I'd need to go home and get good and fucked."

"I did say that, didn't I?" She smirked. She peered down and to her astonishment he was stroking himself, positioning himself at her entrance. He was deliciously huge, and she hadn't had sex in over a year, and the last man she was with wasn't even half his size. Show no fear, she reminded herself. She looked back up and searched his eyes. There was something hidden deep behind the lust and the arousal. Something that told her this all meant something to him. "I meant it, El," she said pulling him toward her and taking his hand off of his throbbing cock, replacing it with hers.

"Are you...I mean, I don't have a.."

"We're safe. Believe me. I can't have them unless I want them. I'll explain later." Preparing herself for a great mix of pleasure and pain, she wrapped her leg around him, where it was before, and whispered, "Go." Slowly, he pushed, inch by inch, feeling the stretch and the resistance. He stopped, fearing he was hurting her.

"Go, El."

"But..."

"You're arguing again," she chided as she thrust her hips forward, a little too forcefully and took him all into her. She screamed his name and bit down on his shoulder. He stilled, afraid to move, and held her, pinning her up against the wall. A tear rolled down her cheek, and blood rolled down his shoulder, but damn if the ripples of pleasure churning through his body were any indication of what the rest of their lovemaking would cause, he'd wait until she was ready even if it took a month.

She hiked her other leg up around his waist and threw her head back. She looked at him and nodded. They had started out slow, like waves rocking on the shore. Even their kisses were gentle, almost loving. Foreheads touching, staring intently into each other's eyes, they were completely lost in each other. Until Olivia growled. "God, I need.."

"What, baby?" He asked her in such a caring way, she was almost afraid to tell him. "I need you to, God, El, faster." He chuckled and grinned and his hips started to increase their rhythm and his grip on her ass tightened. "I was afraid I'd hurt you," he said. "Don't forget who you're dealing with, Stabler."

"Oh? Stabler, huh? Back to that shit?" He cocked an eyebrow and thrust into her faster and harder, slamming her into the wall and holding her there with one arm while the other snaked between them to toy with her clit again, which was still sensitive. "Jesus Christ," he said, bending down to capture a nipple in his mouth. He sucked it until he heard her moan his name, then he flicked it with his tongue and peered up at her. He felt her clench and contract around him.

Bliss. The only word to describe this was bliss.

He was still stroking her clit and pounding into her hard and fast and he felt that familiar tug and tightening, and he had to warn her. "Oh, shit, baby. So, close." He pulled her up and just as he kissed her, her walls tightened intensely and she screamed into his mouth, quivering and quaking and riding him as she came, her violent and ferocious orgasm triggering his. He thrust, three more powerful times, and he released, spilling over, shooting inside of her, collapsing into her, thanking God they were up against the wall.

Though they had finished, he remained inside of her, they couldn't stop kissing, but the wall was getting pretty fucking uncomfortable. "Where's your bedroom, Liv?" Elliot whispered to her as he nuzzled her nose. "Third door on the left in the main hall," she whispered back kissing the end of his nose lightly. Without breaking any of their contact, he made sure he had a good grip on her and walked, carrying her, toward the master suite, murmuring promises of rounds two and three once they got there.

* * *

Four hours, and several orgasms later, Elliot had rolled over onto his back with Olivia wrapped comfortably in his arms. She waited twenty minutes, until his breathing had become deep and even, and with her ear to his chest she could tell his heart rate had slowed. He was asleep. She slipped out of his warm embrace and crawled out of the bed, pulling on one of the four silk robes lined up on the wall, and padded out into the corridor, into the living room and sat at a leather chair in front of a slew of technology. She flipped switches on two computers. She typed rapidly into one and began running a search of some kind and a blank white screen popped up on the other. She began to type on the encrypting keyboard, watching the letters appear on the screen in code, but the message was clear.

_Phase One: Complete _

_Phase Two: Complete _

_Progress made at surprisingly rapid pace._

_Innocent is safe and secure. Trust and relationship have been established. Feelings mutual. Will not affect task or ability to complete mission. Target being located, search running. Known stats so far: female, blonde, twenty to twenty-eight years old. 78 possible un-subs. No known motive for wanting to harm innocent. _

_Task Priority Level: Platinum._

_ High risk. _

_Understand loss of own life is possible._

_Agent Benson _

She hit the send button and sighed, turning back to the first computer. She hit three more buttons and started a second search, rose from her chair and went back to the bedroom. She looked down at the sleeper in her bed and smiled. She removed her robe, hanging it back on the hook, and crawled back into the spot she had vacated only minutes before, snuggling close to him, resting her head on his chest. Listening to his slow, steady heartbeat, she felt an unfamiliar emotion flow through her body. It was a nice feeling, whatever it was, and she let it wrap her up and take her away. For the first time in six months, she slept through the night.

**A/N: Who thought Elliot was a task? Will she tell him? Review and read on!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for all of the great feedback so far! (two people o..O) I'm thrilled by one review, especially!! Here's chapter 7! We find out a few interesting things in this one…**

**DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Dick Wolf, though he would hardly recognize some of them, and the story is all mine. TStabler©**

He awoke to the sound of water running and the smell of eggs filled his nostrils. He blinked his eyes several times before they opened and focused and, for a moment, he forgot where he was. Then he remembered. The night came back to him in glorious Technicolor and surround-sound, and the smile that spread across his face was exuberant. Until he looked at the clock on the wall. "Three-forty-five? What the fuck?" The water stopped running, then there were quick shuffles and several clicking noises. He heard a loud powerful _whoosh_ and the master bathroom door swung open to reveal a dressed and very hot Agent Benson, in a black suit, no surprise there, and high-heeled boots.

"Why the hell are you up and dressed at this un-Godly hour?" he asked her, sitting up with a smirk on his face.

"My job. I start at four. You're welcome to stay here until you need to report to work, yourself. I have some things to do from here, then I have a task, three meetings, a flight to catch and a task at that location." She could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised. "What?" she asked.

"You do all of that in one day?" She laughed and shook her head. "I have to do all of that before noon." She took a few steps closer to the bed, resisting the urge to kiss him, and said, "Upon returning, I have a dinner event. I'd like you to attend." He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Liv?" She realized she was talking to him like an agent. "Sorry, um, I meant…I have to go to this dinner thing for work, El, and I want you to come with me. As my date."

"Much better," he said as he pulled her toward him and kissed her. It took her by surprise, but she let herself go, falling into his kiss, melting into his touch, and she moaned. Her watch beeped. "Fuck," she muttered when she pulled away. "Duty calls. I've made sure you got breakfast. It's not a chili burger, but it's still pretty tasty." She tossed him a men's cashmere robe, with tags still on it, and left the room.

When he met her out in the parlor she was staring at two computers. One had photos of four blonde women on the screen and the other had an e-mail message, but it was in a language he didn't understand. Whatever it said, Olivia didn't like it. She hit the escape key hard, twice and turned her attention to the other computer. He took one quiet step toward her and she, without turning around, or even noticing he was there, said, "Breakfast is on the kitchen table for you. Egg white and broccoli omelet, bacon that I had them make just for you, large cup of coffee and toast, again, just for you. If you want anything else let me know, it can be arranged."

"I thought you said _you_ made me breakfast?" he said, wondering who exactly "they" were. "No, I said I made _sure you got it_. They don't usually prepare food for this floor, well, extra servings, anyway."

"Okay, is that going to be added to the list of things you'll explain later?" he asked with a mouthful of bacon and eggs. Whoever made them was brilliant, they were delicious.

She turned to him, smirked and nodded. She clicked a few buttons, typed for a minute and gave the enter key a tap, and a very large printer whirred to life, quietly and quickly printing full color personal records on the four women she had been tracking down. As each was complete, she stapled it together and put it into a black folder. Once she had all four safely filed, she joined Elliot at the table. "I have approximately eight minutes of free time, so I can explain now. This building, if you haven't noticed, is run _by_ Special Ops, _for _Special Ops. Everyone living in this building is an agent, or works for one, is related to one, or is training to become one. The floors they live on represent their level in the agency."

"You live on the top floor?"

"No, there are two floors above us. One is the CIC's, Commander-in-Chief, and the top floor is the Skylight Ballroom, where we will be having dinner tonight." She looked at him with a serious expression. "This is a penthouse, El. I'm the only one on this floor. There's only one person above me. There are thirty people on the floor below me. Do you get that?"

He sipped his coffee and nodded, but Olivia's behavioral analysis training told her he was completely confused. "It means I'm second-in-command here, and for the last five years, the kitchen staff has only ever prepared an unchanging menu of modest portions of low-carb, high protein meals. The chef had a heart-attack when I called down asked for two omelets, toast and bacon, but did it anyway because if I ask him to serve me a still-beating human heart, he has to do it."

Elliot laughed, getting her point. "You didn't have to put him through that, screw with his schedules and routine, just for me."

"Yes, I really did, El." She glanced down at her watch and sighed. "Eight minutes wasn't long enough. Like I said, stay as long as you want. Your handprint has been programmed into the scanner so you can come and go as you please. You'll find that you have a healthy new wardrobe in the second closet in the third bedroom." She walked around to him, wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him, long and deep, and she pulled away with a smile on her face. "I hope you like Armani." She grabbed the four files, pressed her hand to the elevator panel and disappeared.

She walked back through the doors grumbling to herself at seven-thirty. She had called Elliot when her plane landed, telling him dinner was at eight. She had a hellish day. Her first task was over quickly and without incident. The assassin was on the ground, in a fantastic choke hold, before the President even took the stage. The meetings were long, torturous, boring, but necessary. Her unit was brought up to speed on Task:Stabler and they applauded her progress.

Her second task of the day, though, was difficult. Un-sub number one in Task:Stabler, though she proved to be only an informant to the primary un-sub, who she then refused to name, had put up a good fight. She gave good chase and even had nice aim, hitting Benson in the arm with a .35 Caliber. In the end, she was taken down. The woman, now known as D. Beck, was in a Special Ops holding cell, awaiting her punishment.

She walked into her bedroom and flicked on the light, chose a brilliant, blue, dress out of the closet and stripped off the blood soaked suit jacket and shirt.

"What the hell happened to you?"

She spun around to see Elliot standing in her bedroom, in one of his new suits, with a shocked and mildly angry expression on his face. "Honey, what happened?" He ran over to her and ran a hand lightly down her arm, avoiding the angry, sore wound.

She, too, was shocked. Did he just call her "honey?" "I got shot, El. It happens." Seeing his concern, she kissed him, then backed away. "See? This is why people always leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, unless it's to find the son of a bitch who shot you." She laughed as she pulled off her pants and pulled on the dress, signaling for Elliot to zip her up. "It's been taken care of, honey," she said, feeling…weird, but, somehow, content as she used the same sweet term he'd given her.

They were having a great time, Elliot hitting it off with the agents and agents-in-training at this shindig, and Olivia was commanding attention as usual. Everyone wanted to talk to her. The CIC, most especially. He came over and took her by the arm, leading her away to a secluded corner.

"Agent Benson, I am very pleased with your work on Task:Stabler, and am impressed with the quick progression of things. However, I feel that you have a right to know _why_ it's all happening so fast. You are aware of the mating and procreation policies here at Special Ops, of course."

"Indeed, sir. I've been implanted and the RTF has been trying to locate my counterpart for three years." She paused. "Sir, if this is about the message I sent last night, I know that agents are not allowed to reciprocate task's feelings, and I'll get over it when he's gone I…"

"Agent Benson, allow me to finish. I've instructed the Relationship Task Force to stop looking for your predetermined mate."

Her eyes widened and she was pissed beyond belief. She had to marry the man who was chemically, genetically, physically, mentally and emotionally perfect for her in order for the union to be approved by Special Ops or she'd never be allowed to marry or have children. "Why the hell would you do that, sir?" she yelled.

"Well, Agent Benson, I thought it seemed silly to have them look for someone whom you had already found." Her CIC smirked at her and jerked his head. "I think you two should talk," he said as he walked away, holding a glass of wine, still smirking.

She turned around, slowly, and Elliot was standing behind her. He'd heard everything. And he was definitely not smirking.

**A/N: Ohhhh, boy! Review? How 'bout it?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Elliot's reaction is pretty priceless. And so is Porter's. We also meet Huang in this chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: Character's belong to Dick Wolf, though if he read this story he'd never believe it. Story is sooo mine. Copyright TStabler©**

"How much of that did you hear?"

"What are you implanted with? What did he mean, I'm your predetermined mate? Like, husband? Arranged marriage? What the hell kind of shit did I step in, here?"

She let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't heard his name mentioned. He was not, under any circumstances, to know he was a task. Not until Phase Three. She knew he needed to sit down, so she gestured to an empty table and he followed her.

"I hope to god you're open-minded. I'm implanted, as all agents are, with a contraception chip. It's right here," she held out her right arm, palm up, "Under my wrist. I can not, no matter how hard I try, have kids until Special Ops gives me permission and the chip is removed. All agents are programmed into a computer and a special task unit spends a maximum of six years, starting on the agent's twenty-fourth birthday and ending on their thirtieth, searching for the perfect mate for that agent."

"Like your own, private Match-dot-com?" he asked, still showing no emotion other than frustration.

"Almost, only our task force doesn't use things like hobbies and grooming habits. Special Ops relationships are based upon the pair's emotional compatibility, that's temperament, one person can't have a temper if the other one doesn't, one person can't be a cry baby if the other one never cries, that sort of thing. Also, intelligence and psychological equality, or at least, the ability of the couple to handle inadequacy in those areas, exists. Special Ops couples are also genetically perfect for each other. They're size difference is a perfect mathematical ratio, allowing every body part to fit together like pieces of a puzzle."

"Freaky," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Your hand fits perfectly in mine. Have you noticed that?"

Olivia didn't hear him, she started babbling. Talking very, very, fast. "Then there's the intense physical and emotional attraction, constant state of arousal, insatiable desire to protect the other…this goes beyond Match-dot-fucking-com. And they've been looking for my mate for three years, and I've had to bide my time by dating people I couldn't stand just to feel some kind of human connection, then I meet you and my world gets turned upside fucking down, and I start to feel these crazy things for you that I've never felt before, and we have the most amazing...ya know what? I'm not even going to call it sex because it was so much more than that. And I risk my task, and my job, by letting myself have these feelings for you and then CIC tells me that it's okay because _you… are… my… mate _and I want to do the fucking Hokey Pokey right now, _that's_ how happy I am, but I _can't_ because _you've_ just been _sitting_ there with this angry, confused and annoyed expression on your face and for the first time since we've met I don't know what you're…"

Kissing is a very effective way to stop someone from talking. Elliot pulled away, slowly licking her bottom lip as he did, and said, "Shut the hell up, Benson." He remembered the rule about her name. He was smiling at her. "I knew something was up. I mean, I don't normally sleep with a woman I've only known for a day. I don't normally do it _four_ times. I don't normally feel like telling that girl that I love her after_ two_ days, either. So, this predetermined mate thing, I get it."

"Agent Benson?" They both looked up from their table and Agent Porter was standing next to an average looking Asian man who had a huge smile on his face.

"Dr. Huang! It's good to see you. Thank you for evaluating the man in the SVU case the other day, I appreciate it."

"No trouble at all. In fact, I've agreed to work them on a regular basis, as you have, so I hear." The man gave her a high five, an odd gesture for two agents, but it seemed normal for these two.

"Speaking of SVU, Porter you remember Stabler. Stabler you know Porter and this is Dr. George Huang, our resident head-shrinker." They shook hands, all around, and she continued. "Stabler is Lead Detective with SVU and, I found out today, he's my, uh, mate, but in the real world we're, um, dating."

They were being congratulated by Dr. Huang, when they heard a great thud. Looking to George's left, the three of them were surprised to see that Agent Porter had fainted.

The next day, Elliot walked into the bullpen whistling, wearing another new suit. "Hey, Elliot, where are you getting all of this extra money, man? You had on a different Armani yesterday, and they are not cheap, my friend. We don't get paid enough for you to be shopping at Bergdorf's," chided Cassidy, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to reach Agent Benson, by dialing every Benson in the Manhattan White Pages.

"Screw the suits," Jeffries said. "I wanna know what's making our resident sour-puss so happy. A man only smiles like that when he's in love, and we ain't seen anyone around here, baby, so let's here it."

Munch poured some coffee and leaned up against the lockers. "It's a conspiracy. He's being brainwashed by the radio waves emitting from his television."

"I didn't pay for the suits, there _is_ a girl that I happen to be crazy about, and I haven't watched TV in three days, Munch," Elliot said as he checked his messages.

"Hello, uh, is this the home of, uh, Benson? First name? Um, Agent? No, I don't know her first name. She's kind of tall, great rack, nice ass, if you…hello? He hung up on me," Cassidy said, as if it was shocking.

Elliot looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Give up, man. She's a Special Ops agent. Her own mother doesn't know where she is and you think she's going to be in the phone book? Do you know how many people want her dead? You're an idiot, Cassidy."

"An idiot in love, bro."

"You are not in love with her. What's her favorite color?"

"Um, black. She wears it all the time," he said grinning like an idiot. Elliot laughed. "Agents _have_ to wear black on tasks, you nimrod. How does she like her coffee?"

"Black?"

"What about her worst fear? Biggest secret? Most embarrassing moment?"

"Okay, okay, so I don't love her, sheesh, but if I find her, maybe I could, ya know?" Elliot looked him again, but now he wasn't smiling. He was stone-faced. "No, you couldn't."

Captain Cragen came out of his office and handed out assignments. "Munch, Cassidy. You're still on the Lawson case. Jeffries, Stabler, I need you down by Pier Thirteen. Call came in about a DV, witnesses are concerned because there are children involved. You'd better run."

Without a word they were off and running, sprinting down the stairs, out the door and into the car. The siren blared and the light flashed, but when they got to Pier Thirteen, there were no children, no commotion and no domestic violence was occurring. In fact, the pier seemed empty, tranquil.

"Okay," Jeffries said with her usual attitude, "What gives? We get called all the way out here for noth-" A hand was pressed over her mouth. Elliot's. "Shh," he said when she mumbled loudly into his hand. They heard something, very light footsteps, from several directions. They saw five bodies, all in black, scuttle around the pier and then when full figures came into view they noticed that these bodies had guns. Elliot, with his hand still around Jeffries' mouth, pulled her behind a stack of boxes as one of the figures started to move closer.

Peering through the cracks in the stack, Elliot saw the bodies of a man in his thirties and a small boy. There was a letter, typed, lying on the man's chest. The figure closest to them finally turned around and Elliot gasped.

"Fuck!" She tapped a button on her watch and spoke as evenly as she could. "CIC, be advised, Task:Stabler has reached Phase Three. Repeat Task:Stabler has reached Phase Three." She walked toward the stack of boxes and punched the top one, busting a hole right through it.

"Agent Benson," Lewis began.

"Don't." She held a hand up in a stop gesture and yelled to her team. "Porter! Welken! You two will remove these bodies, get them off of the pier and back to HQ. Hampton, take the letter to Huang, see what he can tell us about the un-sub." The three men ran off, fulfilling their duties. Lewis stepped closer to Olivia, and repeated, "Agent Benson, permission to relieve verbal stress is granted."

"Shit, Lewis. They were killed by their own wife and mother! She left them there, for him to find, like some fucking demented present, with a letter declaring her undying love for him. She said she got rid of them so they could be together forever. I'm supposed to protect him. I'm supposed to prevent this. If Porter hadn't fucking waited until ten minutes ago to give me the TAP then none of this would have happened." She took a deep breath. "Lewis, please forgive my informal verbal outburst."

Lewis smirked at her. "Agent Benson, if you please, you should not blame yourself."

"Oh, I don't, Lewis. I blame Porter. He had the time and place at oh-nine-hundred and waited on it. He's doing this on purpose because he's pis-" she paused, remembering that she was with an agent, not Elliot. "Very angry that Stabler's my mate. And my task. Which is not supposed to happen." She went back over toward the stack of boxes, but instead of hitting them, she leaned up against them, and if she was capable of doing so, she would have cried. "Lewis, how am I supposed to tell him?"

Elliot looked into her sorrow filled eyes through the crack in-between the boxes and looked down at Jeffries, then back up at her. He was getting rather tired of hearing all of the important stuff from other people's conversation's, so he would wait for her to come to him with this, but he whispered, very quietly, "You just did."

**A/N: Who you think is after Elliot? Are you ready for their next case together? You wanna see Benson bitch-slap Jeffries? Then review so I can post chapter 9!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: In this chapter: How much power does Special Ops really have? the CIC drops a bomb on Benson. Benson drops a bomb on Elliot. Kathy drops one on Elliot's car. ****It's long and it's _angry_.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters, doesn't he? I own everything else. Much love, TStabler©**

She paced back and forth outside the operating room in the Hospital at HQ and started brainstorming, with her headset on, talking to Lewis and another agent. "Stabler, you are a task. Un-sub now known as K. Stabler, your sister-in-law is trying to kidnap you. It is my job, and has been since we've met, to protect you. Surprise!"

"I think that might be too insensitive and formal, Agent Benson. He hates it when you talk to him like an agent," Lewis said.

"Right." She bit her bottom lip, still pacing. "Um, how about, Yo! El! How's it hangin'? You know that chick who married your brother…"

"Stop! Agent Benson?"

"Kidding, Lewis. You know, I read the Special Ops Guidelines, Operations, Regulations and Prohibitions Manual over one hundred times. There is no chapter on telling one's mate they are a task."

"It has never happened before, Agent Benson," Lewis said. "We have the Operations and Guidelines Taskforce researching and writing the guidelines now, Ma'am." Lewis's earpiece beeped. "You need to wait till they're finished."

"Fat lot of good it does me at this precise moment, Lewis." Olivia sighed and turned around, preparing to pace in the opposite direction when Elliot, his sister and his mother came running into the waiting area, escorted by several agents. The second their eyes met, that same unfamiliar feeling crept up and flowed through her. It made her warm and happy.

"What happened? They wouldn't tell me anything," Elliot said. He was pissed off, angry, hurt and he was two seconds away from demanding an explanation, but she pulled him into the warmest, most comforting hug and he forgot that it was her that he was supposed to be mad at.

"They aren't allowed to tell you anything. No one is. Not even me," she said dejectedly. "Not until they figure out…the policy."

He looked at her, into those beautiful brown eyes, and waited. He expected more, he expected the truth. He deserved that much. "I was there, Li…Benson. Behind the boxes, on the pier. I…I know they're dead so, please just tell me what we're doing here. Do we need to ID the bodies or something?"

"Oh, shit! No! Um, no. You need to forget you saw that. Was anyone else there? With you? Munch? Cassidy? The Sundance Kid?"

He knew she was gonna hate this. "Jeffries," he said in a barely audible voice.

"Oh, that is just wonderful. She won't _talk _to me, let alone let me go near her with a needle. Is she a lesbian or is she straight?"

"What?" he asked with a shocked laugh.

"Well, I need to know so I can send the appropriate gender to fix this." She ran a hand through her hair and heaved a sigh, making a complicated hand gesture to Lewis. The subordinate agent's eyes widened and she ran off down the hall.

"Jeffries is straight, Benson. And she has a thing for me," he remarked. He studied her reaction intently. She glared at the nothing in front of her then turned toward him. There it was. Jealousy.

"Well, that ain't gonna happen. I'll send Hampton. He is a very attractive man. She won't feel a thing."

"What are you talking about?" Olivia opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, a surgeon stepped out into the corridor.

"Stabler?"

"Yes," Elliot said as he gripped Olivia's shoulders. His mother and sister stepped up next to him.

The surgeon flashed them all a brilliant smile and pulled a cord, which lifted the shade on the wall in front of which they were standing. Through the window, Elliot's brother and nephew, the father and son who had been shot, were not only alive, but they were playing a light game of one-on-one basketball. They were both running at amazing speeds, and the kid, who was only seven, leaped into the air and made a slam-dunk.

Elliot looked on in amazement, a tear rolling down his cheek, and he pulled Olivia into a passionate kiss. He didn't know how she did this, but he knew this was her doing. "Thank you, Liv," he whispered in her ear, careful so no one would hear her name. "I had to, El. I don't know why, but, I had to save them."

The surgeon, still smiling, cleared her throat and said "I would say the operation was a success, Agent Benson." She turned to her, smiling back. "Indeed, Dr. Warner."

"Agent Benson," the CIC, with Agent Porter, who had a smug look on his face, walked in and he was not a happy looking fellow.

"Sir," she said, instantly stepping back from Elliot.

"Come with me. Now. Leave _the task_ behind," he commanded when Elliot started to follow. She went pale and gulped. This was bad. It had to be. After they had been able to see, and talk to, his brother and nephew, agents came in to escort the Stablers out of the building. Olivia sent a messenger with her apology. Elliot, pissed and confused, went back to work to get his mind of things and forget that Olivia hadn't even said goodbye.

They heard the clicking of heels and the scuttling of feet. They all knew what this meant. Jeffries rolled her eyes. "Gimme a fuckin' break."

Munch got up and hit the button on their new espresso maker, peering at it over his sunglasses to make sure it was working. Cassidy stood up, straightened out his jacket and tie, smoothed back his hair and squirted breath spray in his mouth. It hit him in the eye, instead, making him flail around like a bit of a loon. Captain Cragen was in full uniform, standing ready to greet their guests, and Elliot was at his desk, working, smirking, and trying not to let on that his heart was about to stop.

Agent Benson stepped through the doors, followed by her four subordinates. Porter had a very noticeable black left eye and it looked as if someone had also hit his right cheek with a hammer. Lewis was watching Benson out of the corners of her eyes, and anyone could tell that she was worried. Hampton and Welken were stoic. Benson, whose eyes were red, but not puffy, and very dry, had a very determined expression on her face.

"Morning, Munch. Jeffries. Cassidy." She didn't acknowledge Elliot. Didn't even look at him. She stepped forward and shook the captain's hand and accepted the strong, fresh espresso from Munch.

"Morning, Benson," he winked. "Bite me, Benson," Jeffries muttered. "You can bite _me_, if you want, Benson," Cassidy said, smirking and wagging an eyebrow.

She didn't smile. She just flexed her left hand and fisted it, the knuckles cracking as she did it. Porter made a face at this, and winced in pain. "No, thank you. I don't eat pork," she said with a scowl. Elliot snickered, which, in turn, made Olivia flinch. "Okay, you called me in, I'm in. I have a full schedule today so…"

"Of, course, Agent Benson, you and Stabler will need to take a ride to Mercy General. Fourteen year old rape victim. She'll only talk to a female…"

"Excuse me? What am I, a rhinoceros?" Jefferies interrupted.

"Close enough," Benson spat. Elliot snickered again. His girl was on a roll.

Cragen continued. "A sensitive and compassionate female, that is."

Benson looked around at the room, nodded at the captain, then at her unit, then, reluctantly, at Elliot. "Fine. Let's go." She signaled her team to follow as Elliot led them out. "Lewis, you four will take the SOV, I'll ride with Stabler. Follow close."

"Yes, Ma'am." Lewis and the others turned right to head toward the Special Ops Vehicle, as Olivia and Elliot stayed straight, heading toward his sedan. He pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket and clicked the alarm. Olivia, suddenly, stopped in her tracks and pulled on Elliot's collar, throwing him backward and diving on top of him, just as his car blew to smithereens.

As the shards of metal, bits of plastic, and ash fell around them, Benson's unit came running. "Agent Benson! Are you secure?"

"Yes, Lewis, I'm fine." She looked down, at the man, in shock, beneath her. "Are you okay?" He nodded, and taking her in his arms, he sat up, looked out at his burning, smoking car and said, "If I had been alone, just kept walking, if you hadn't…"

"I know, Stabler." She pushed herself up, off of him, off of the ground, and held out a hand to help him to his feet, fighting to ignore the shockwaves his touch sent through her body. "Hampton, put out the fire. Go back into the building and alert Captain Cragen to what has just occurred. Porter," she thought better of it. "No, Welken, have the car towed to HQ and find the device. Stabler, he'll need your keys." Without pause, Elliot handed his keys to Welken and they both walked off to complete their given orders.

Lewis, Porter, Olivia and Elliot rode, in the amazingly luxurious SOV, to Mercy General, where Elliot, pretty damn pissed and still shaken up, watched Olivia introduce herself to the small, fragile girl as "Agent Olivia" and earn her trust immediately, getting a full account of what had happened to her and a detailed description of her rapist. The victim, or the innocent, hugged Olivia before she and Elliot left. Jeffries could barely get victims to wave goodbye to her.

They took all of the information back to Cragen and the rest of the squad, then Benson and her unit took off, back to HQ to find out who, or what, blew up Elliot's car. Her commander commended her for showing absolutely no emotion while doing so.

She was on the phone when Elliot walked through the elevator doors that evening, and whatever she was talking about was making her very angry. Her back was to him, but he knew her face was probably screwed up in a scowl and her teeth were gritted. "I do not understand, sir, how you could tell me that it is fine, and actually part of my genetic code, and then change your mind simply because some leader of some task force thinks that it's better this way. Are you doubting my abilities, sir? Have I, in any way, let one get in the way of the other? That was not…no, sir, that was not personal, that was aiding the innocents, as one was a child and the boy needed his father. It did not, sir, it was paid for with Special Ops Innocent Repair funds. I still do not understand why…I know but…yes, sir. I understand. Thank you, sir." She threw her headset onto the desk and let out a cry of frustration.

"Liv,?"

She turned around and her face fell. "You have this horrible habit of overhearing the worst shit, you know that?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that idea." He walked over to her and ran a hand down her arm. "You have something you wanna tell me?" His eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a hint of anger. "Like why I was almost blown up today? Why my brother and nephew were shot and then suddenly okay, and why Jeffries now thinks we spent the day chasing perps on Broadway? Why you were such a raging bitch this afternoon, and what the hell that phone call was about?"

"That is a whole lotta "something"."

"I know, Liv." She flinched. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "I have no choice, here, El. Please just listen, don't interrupt, and don't get pissed off at the way I'm about to talk to you. Not until I'm finished." She flicked a switch on a small machine on the desk and began.

"Stabler, you are a task, you have been since the minute we met. I ordered the Medic Unit to repair and revive innocents Kevin and Richard Stabler out of, not only suggested emotion for you, but out of responsibility to the innocents. If they can be saved, we save them. The murder attempts were enacted by one K. Stabler, your sister-in-law. She is infatuated with you and believes you, in return, love her. She is a threat to you. I am your Op. I am here to protect you."

Another deep breath. "_Only _to protect you. The explosion today, while created and ordered by K. Stabler, was planted in the car, on purpose, by one B. Cassidy, further proof required, pending investigation. Recently, I was told by my superior officer that, aside from being a vulnerable task, you _were_ also my perfect counterpart, my one predetermined life companion. This morning, however, that same superior officer, after receiving research and report from the Operations and Guidelines taskforce, retracted that statement, and forbid me to have any contact, conversation or other such interaction of a Mate-to-Mate nature, with you. The aforementioned superior officer then said that once the task has been completed, mate status would be renewed and courtship and emotional connection could be reestablished." A smirk spread across her face. "What my superior officer failed to realize, Stabler, is that I am a Special Ops agent, not a robot, and I can not turn my emotions on and off like a light. The phone conversation you overheard was me trying to get him to understand that," she finally stopped, and turned off that small machine, which Elliot knew now was a recorder.

Olivia looked confused, and she reached a hand up to her cheek, and her fingers stroked through wetness. Her eyes tingled and her nose burned. She wasn't quite sure what was going on. She looked at Elliot, who was livid.

"Okay, Liv, you know I know I was a task. I just didn't know that I was _your_ _task_, Kathy? Really? We dated in high school, but she cheated on me with Kevin, and I haven't given her any reason to think I'm interested."

He looked up at her for a moment, then his brow furrowed. "Wait, _suggested_ emotion? Was _everything_ a part of it? Was your original assignment to, uh, take me up against the wall, or was that just _us_ being _mates_? What do you mean _suggested_ emotion? And you're saying that what we have, what I feel, this intense, powerful, unstoppable, perfect, thing that I have waited my whole life to find, this has to stop because some douchebag in a suit doesn't want to screw with his company policy?"

"You were _always_ mine. Mine _alone_. And no, El. I didn't know you and I were going to… I was just supposed to make a connection, earn your trust. I didn't know I was going to fall in..." she stopped, not allowing herself to go there. "How dare you even think that _sex_ would be an _assigned_ part of my_ task_?"

He was yelling now. "Well, gee, Liv, these assholes tell you how to eat, think, sleep, breathe, dress and they even fucking tell you who to marry and when you can have children! It was a logical conclusion to jump to that they'd tell you who to fuck whan to fuck 'em!"

"Oh, so now it was just _fucking_?" She blinked, wiped away the wet drops falling from her eyes, and took another deep breath. "Fine. Have it your way. Forgive me, Stabler. Your assumptions are correct. You are a task. Nothing more. Everything I have said or have done was orchestrated and manipulated by this unit."

"Oh, now that is fucking bullshit, Liv, and you know it." He walked over to her, and grabbed her arm, which she ripped away violently.

"Stabler, you do not have permission to touch me."

He smirked, an evil gleam in his eye, which danced behind unshed tears. "I didn't need permission this morning, Liv. In the shower? Remember? Or last night, in bed. You can't tell me that all of it, everything, is just some fucking task. I can see it in your eyes, Liv. You love me."

"What?" she backed up, feeling more wetness fall from her eyes. "I what?"

"You...love...me. Admit it. Say it. Screw your fucking superior officer, Liv. Stop crying and say it, because I have no problem saying that, despite the fact that you're the goddamn Bionic woman and you've done nothing but lie to me since we met, I love you."

She was up against the wall now. Unmoving. Crying? Yes. That's what she had been doing. "Love? Is that..." She stood up a little straighter and walked into the library, slamming the door behind her, leaving Elliot heartbroken in her living room.

**A/N: Wha?? I know! Don't kill me, just review and read the next chapter!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: First, THANK YOU!! So much, for all of the amazing reviews! You'll never know how much it means to me! Now, Is Agent Benson gonna say it? And, there's a tiny **_**smutlet,**_** and something **_**big**_** goes down in Special OPs, which forces Benson to **_**move out**_** of her penthouse *shock***

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters. I own this little saga. TStabler©**

Elliot was never one for letting things he wanted slip through his fingers so he stormed into the library after her. "Olivia, you can not just walk away, when..."

She was sitting, flipping through the pages of a leather bound book, hyperventilating and checking her own pulse.

"Liv!" He ran over to her and knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Panic attack. Haven't had one since I was fifteen. Since they found me," she said in between short, tense breaths. "You said...you love me."

"I don't know, Liv. I can't get you out of my head, you make my heart beat ninety miles a minute, I am so turned on by the way you, like, breathe! I've only known you for a few days but I know you better than I know my own sister. You make me nervous, and scared, and happy and excited and when I'm not with you, the only thing I can think about is being with you, Liv. I think that's love."

"It is," she said as she held up the book. "Textbook definition."

He laughed. "You had to look it up?" She nodded, biting her bottom lip. Elliot knew that this was her only nervous habit. "I didn't know what was happening to me, El. Special Ops are trained to not have feelings until they meet their…"

"Mate," he finished for her.

"Yes. Emotions like love, they were abolished in training. I haven't felt love in such a long time, and I've never been _in love_ before."

"Before?" He asked, pulling her out of the seat.

"Before _you_, El." She took a step toward him. "I might love you." She looked at his face, a mixture of shock and giddiness, and then she flipped through a few pages of the book. "Either that, or I have very bad indigestion, acute appendicitis, seasonal affective disorder, a sexual addiction, aversion to the color green, an allergy to shellfish and a severe heart condition. If that's the case, I should be hospitalized and heavily medicated."

"Well, I hope, for your sake, it's _just_ love." He pulled the book out of her hands and threw it over his head, it landed with a thud on one of the tables in the far corner. "Yeah, with me in the hospital, who'd save your ass?" she teased, pulling him toward her by his belt and letting a hand graze his erection. "Good question, baby, but I think your team of miracle doctors could fix any problem in seconds," he said, pulling her shirt off, over her head, in one move, with one hand. "Only if someone signs the consent forms. I don't have a personal medical proxy."

She pulled his shirt off, but needed both of her hands to do it, and pecked tiny kisses along his chest. "I'll sign _anything_ if it'll keep you alive, baby," he said as he unhooked her bra and let it slide off of her body.

"I am going to be in so much trouble for this," she said with a smirk. "But, I've just realized, that I don't really give a shit." The_y_ went to work on each other's pants, sliding them off, kicking out of them. "I didn't mean it, El. You're not just a task. You're not even just a mate. You're..." Elliot lifted Olivia onto the table and, now that he was totally sure he wouldn't hurt her, he thrust into her, completely, fully, in one smooth move. "Liv, I know, baby. I know." He kissed her, consumed her. Then he pulled away, slowly. "Liv?" Her lips were pressed together, her head was thrown back in ecstasy and her eyes were closed, but her head rolled toward him at the sound of her name. "Hmmm?"

As he started to set their pace, pulling almost completely out before pushing all the way back into her, sensually, passionately, he kissed her once on each eyelid, forcing them to open, then he kissed her full on the mouth. He looked her right in her chocolaty eyes and said "I love you, too."

They were lying on the large, cherry table, limbs entangled, bodies fit together, tightly, perfectly. "Three hours. On a table. In my goddamn library. You know Harry Potter has been watching us the whole time?"

"Perverted little wizard isn't he," Elliot quipped, jerking his head toward the bookshelf to their left, which was filled with _nothing_ but Rowling's books. Every edition in every possible language translation.

Suddenly, a red light flashed and an alarm blared. Olivia pushed Elliot off of her and jumped off of the table. "Oh, God, No! How the fuck...shit!" She ran into her bedroom and immediately started to get dressed. Elliot followed her. "Should I be scared, here?"

"Yes."

"Good, because I am."

He watched in utter shock as she pressed a palm to a blank spot on the wall and the back of her closet opened up, revealing an arsenal of weapons that were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. "You can not come with me, you can not be involved in this," she started, "Unless you get dressed."

He looked down, saw that he was still naked, and ran to his closet. When he came back, in another new suit, she was in her techno-vest and she, surprisingly, had one for him. "Put this on. Don't ask questions. This," she said, holding out a black, heavy, weapon to him, "Works like a regular Glock, only you can certainly not survive being shot by this fucker. Do not aim or fire unless I say so."

"Yes, Ma'am." She snapped her head up and looked at him with a very odd expression, and her eyes widened.

"Yes, Benson?" He asked. Her expression didn't change, and she still said nothing. "This is a task, I committed The Five to memory. Right now, I'm not your boyfriend, or your task I am your subordinate. Whatever we're doing, let's do it," he declared as he pulled back on the cartridge and loaded the weapon.

She looked at him for a beat and said, "I really _do_ love you."

He smiled and winked at her. "I know." She led him out through the back of her penthouse, a door that he'd never seen before, and up a staircase, also one he'd never seen before. They were quiet and very stealthy. He couldn't even hear the click of her heels.

They came to a foreboding set of double doors and stopped. She caught his eye, and he knew instantly what to do. She nodded, and simultaneously, as if they had been working together for _years_, they each kicked one panel of the door open and walked through, holding their weapons out. They looked around corners, down hallways and as they drew closer to the CIC's central office, they saw the Primary Response team surrounding a cuffed, kneeling agent and a man in a suit lying on the floor, with a huge, devastating weapon wound in his back.

"Report!" Olivia barked. Everyone in the room turned and saluted, shouting a clear, loud, "Good Evening, Agent Benson."

"Good Evening. Now, report!" A middle aged agent stepped forward and bowed his head, taking off his cap. "Agent Benson, at twenty-one-hundred, the alarm sounded and we, as Primary Response, acted immediately. However, upon arriving, which was mere seconds before you, Ma'am, we discovered that un-sub now known as D. Lewis had terminated CIC, using her lethal task weapon. Motive unknown. Remorse from assailant is unexpressed."

"Thank you, Agent Monroe," Olivia said as she snapped her weapon to her vest, then signaled Elliot to do the same. "PR, you are excused. Fall out." At her words, the Primary Response team left, leaving her alone in the room with Elliot, Lewis and three Internal Agency Affairs Negotiators, the Special Ops' IAB.

Olivia knelt down beside Lewis and rested a hand on the cold-eyed woman's knee. She whispered, because she was about to break protocol. "Why? Why would you do this, Dana?"

Lewis snapped her head up. "First name, Ma'am?"

"This is a delicate matter," Olivia said. "I need your reason. If this was self defense, you won't be...well, you know."

"I had many reasons, Agent Benson. He just wouldn't stop. No matter how many times I asked, or begged, and he was so rough," Lewis said. Olivia's eyes darted up to Elliot. They had themselves a Special Victim. "I tried to convince myself that I could live with it. Treat it like a task. But then, when I heard what he did to you..."

"Okay, Lewis. You've given us enough of a motive..." Olivia tried to get her to stop before she said anything. She did not want to be implicated in the death of the CIC.

"No, Agent Benson. You have to know what this man did. He didn't pull your mating status because of the guidelines Porter enacted, he pulled your mating status because Agent Porter blackmailed him. I wasn't the only female agent the CIC was using and Porter has _proof_." Olivia's face fell. Shit. "He threatened to go to Universal if the CIC didn't order the change of your mate. I had to kill him before he could do that or you'd be stuck mating with..."

"Oh, my God. You are not telling me what I think you are telling me Lewis."

"I am, Agent Benson. If I did not come in when I had, the CIC was going to change your permanent mate to Agent Porter." Lewis looked up at the IAAN beside her and nodded, and the man pulled her to her feet, escorting her out of the room.

A man cleared his throat and began to speak. "Agent Benson, when the Victim Disposal and Scene Disinfection and Purification taskforces are finished, the Architectural Design team will be rearranging your quarters. You need to go down to HQ and be sworn in, and you will need to verify life partner as soon as possible. This is a crucial and emergent matter, Ma'am. Time is of the essence."

Olivia gaped at the agent in front of her. "Say again?"

"I said, Agent Benson, when the Victim Disposal...

"I heard you, Conrad! I'm just in a bit of shock! You've just told me that...I need to get mar...legally and irrevocably bound to another human being... and be sworn in as the American and British...tonight!" She held her hand to her chest and started breathing very heavily. "Jesus Christ."

"Who's that? Oh, is he your life partner? He sounds very nice, Ma'am," the stout agent said,

"No! You impotent little...no, I don't exactly have a life..." she put a hand up against the wall and looked at the man. "Why does this all need to be done _tonight_?"

"Agent Benson. you are..._were_ second-in-command. The CIC has just been terminated, so you _must _take over _immediately_. You _are,_ if my eyes do not deceive, a _female_, though, Ma'am. Statute Eighty-five, Subsection B, Article one-nineteen-dash-C clearly states..."

"I know what the damn thing states, Conrad. I wrote it. I just thought I'd be, like, _forty _when the CIC kicked the bucket. Not _twenty-fucking-seven_! And it's there, written, for personal and financial _security_, protection of the _estate _and the _family_ in case of _imminent death_, _neither_ of which _I have_. Mother of God, this is fucking _terrific_."

"Yes," Conrad said brightly. "Isn't it? We have all always thought you were a much better suited leader than him anyway, Ma'am. Everyone is greatly overjoyed in the midst of their grief." Conrad turned to leave, but paused and gave a salute. "On the 'morrow, Commander Benson."

**A/N: Poor, Benson! Did her life just go up in flames or what? Review!? CHapter 11 will be up, soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry to my readers who've wanted to review, but couldn't! I didn't realize I had disabled Anonymous coms. All fixed. Comment Away! Let's see what our lovely characters are up to, shall we?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

She walked down the corridor of HQ with a stern look on her face. Flashbulbs were going off and several agents were lined up in front of, next to and behind her. Elliot was next to her, still in his funky, unfamiliar agent gear, clearly unaware of the gravity of the situation Agent Benson had been thrown into.

They marched down a long stark white hallway and through an automatic sliding door. The group of people were now standing in a conference room. Agent Benson stepped behind a chair at the end of a long table but did not sit, and she looked at the uniformed men who were sitting around it. Elliot looked at them, too, familiar with the Commanding General of the U.S Marines, and the Army General next to him. There were also commanding officers from the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Several high ranking agents in the FBI were in the room. A rep from the CIA was there. Elliot squinted and scratched his head when he noticed Captain Cragen in one of the seats. The Prime Minister was there. And in the large chair at the other end of the table, to Elliot's amazement, the President of the United States sat comfortably.

"Agent Benson," Agent Porter said, cuffed, from his spot next to an IAAN.

"You are in enough trouble as it is Porter. Allegations against you are magnanimous, so you do not have permission to speak." Agent Benson, still standing, addressed the room. "As you know, you are all here because CIC Marsden has been terminated by a subordinate agent. As his successor it is not only my duty and my obligation, but my honor to take the reigns of Special Ops, effective immediately. There were several policies concerning an unprecedented occurrence, dealing with my current task and personal status, which CIC Marsden had been putting into effect at the time of his demise. It has come to my attention that he, for lack of a better term, _jumped the gun_, forcing myself and my associates to follow orders without proper enforced guidelines. He did not sign them before his termination. Those polices have not, and _will not_ be enacted."

Porter cried out, "But Agent Benson I personally..."

"Shove it, Agent Porter." She pointed to herself and said, "Commander." Then she pointed to him and said, "Amoeba. Are we seeing why I make the rules and you do not?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Porter shook his head and stepped back, glancing at the IAAN.

"In any event," she held out her right hand as a formally dressed agent slid a very large book underneath it. She held her left hand up in the air and spoke in a language Elliot couldn't understand. It might have been Latin, but when she was finished, the President passed a paper down, from person to person, each hand that touched it signed it, and when it reached her, she, too, signed it with a flourish like she usually did. Last name only. The room erupted in applause and one by one the most important people in the country, and Great Britain, all men, stood up.

"Well, gentlemen, that is a bit unnecessary, but thank you." My goodness. She was _blushing._ She shook all of their hands as they left, filing out through a huge security gate in the back. Only Captain Cragen and Elliot remained in the room, but Olivia failed to notice.

"Agent, or, well, Commander Benson. We have to settle the matter of your life partner," Agent Welken declared. "Normally, we would forgo requiring it, but with you already on a life threatening task, and this being an exigent circumstance we've narrowed down our options. There's Seargant Boris Penchly, U.S Marines; Corporal Falcon Montgomery, U.S Navy,"

She held up her hand, stopping him. "I'm not spending the rest of my life with anyone named _Boris_ or _Falcon_, Welken."

"There is _one_ more option, Ma'am. Since CIC Marsden did _not _sign the policy enactment forms forbidding one to _mate _with their _task,_ there's always..."

She cut him off right then and there. "No."

"Why not?" She turned at the sound of the voice. It was Elliot.

Eyes wide and shoulders straight, she let him have it plain. "I'm not dragging you into this so suddenly, El. We were supposed to have time to..._prepare_ you for the things you would need to do. There's training and counseling. I'm not going to be responsible for ruining your life. I can't bring you into a world you know nothing about just because I'm a little bit in love with you."

He gestured to the vest he was wearing and the room they were in and the captain next to him. "It's a little late for that."

"I can't ask you to..." He pressed a finger to her lips. "You're not asking me. I'm volunteering. And you, like, run the fucking world, now, or some freaky shit, right? If you get sick of me you can _shoot _me with this little gun on my vest and push a red _button_ somewhere and be done with me," he said smirking.

She smirked back at him, but she said, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Stabler."

Captain Cragen cleared his throat. "Permission to speak, Commander Benson."

"Drop it, Uncle Don."

Elliot's eyes widened and he looked from Olivia to his boss. "Woah, Uncle?"

"Yes, Elliot. Olivia is my niece. It was no coincidence that you ended up in my unit, Elliot."

It was Olivia's turn to widen her eyes and question things. "Excuse me?"

"This will be a bit of a shock, Olivia, but Marsden had me on a special assignment for a while, as well. One known as Task:Benson. It was my job to, not only employ Elliot in a high-profile field of law enforcement, but to keep an eye on him. Keep him _single._ I also had to send him to several training conferences. I told him they were for the NYPD, but they were yours."

"You knew? The whole time, Cap?" Elliot was hurt.

Cragen nodded sadly. "They've known you two were, uh, you used the term mates? Well, _that_, since you joined Special Ops, Olivia. They were keeping him from you because they didn't _want_ you to, uh, mate. That is a really stupid term, I'm sorry. But, when he became your task, they knew that you were going to fall fast and hard and they could do nothing to stop it."

Olivia sighed. "I knew that. I found the file, I read it. I just didn't want to believe it." She looked at Elliot, her eyelids half lowered. "I understand, El, if you want to run out that door, fast, and take your chances with . I'll stay away from you."

He took her hand, and nudged her chin with his nose. "The only chances I'm taking are with _you._ I'm also starting to think that Munch's crazy theories aren't crazy, which worries me, and I think I'm really starting to dig that I'm dating James Bond with boobs." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "You need to commit to one person for the rest of your life, then I can be that person. I love you, Liv."

"Oh, God, El. I love you, too. But, you don't understand. Before, when I was second-in-command, we could have been a normal couple, well, moderately, when I wasn't out saving the world. Now, as CIC, as my _life partner_, you'll be out there saving it with me."

His smile never faded. He just blinked once and said, "What?"

"When I was a subordinate agent, I worked on the Operations and Guidelines taskforce, researching mating and procreation policy and procedure. It occurred to me, that a woman had never been a CIC before, and female agents are required to mate before age thirty, so, not thinking any female would ever be a CIC before that age, wrote a tiny subsection to a policy stating that any female CIC must go on all life threatening tasks with her mate. Tasks would never fail owing to their indefatigable desire to save each other's life."

"So, no matter what, they'd both come out alive," he said, understanding.

She nodded, ran a hand through his hair and looked into his perfectly blue eyes. "I knew you'd get it." He nodded. "I get it," he said as kissed her passionately, ignoring his captain. When breathing became difficult, he pulled away. "I get it and I'm in. But, if we're gonna do this, we're doing this the right way, you know that, don't you?"

He expected her to think and speak after kissing her like that? She didn't even know where she was at the moment. She just nodded, because whatever he just said, she agreed.

* * *

Munch was staring at the espresso machine. "Someone tell me how this works, because I think there are little elves in there squeezing the coffee beans."

"You're insane, Munch," Jeffries chided.

Elliot walked in, in a black Armani suit and a huge goofy grin on his face. He hung up his jacket and looked at the squad. "Okay, say it. You're all thinking it. Just say it."

Cassidy spoke up. "I think you're getting laid on, like, a regular basis, and I think it's Megan Fox because you have never been this happy."

Jeffries scowled at him and looked toward Elliot. "Elliot, baby, whoever she is you know it's only temporary right? Your relationships always are."

"Not this time." He pulled a black box out of his pocket and tossed it to Munch.

"Oh," the scrawny man said as he opened it. "You're serious? This is some serious jewelry, Stabler. Check this out." He turned the box toward Cassidy, who dropped his jaw, and Jeffries, who made a face like she just saw her best friend give birth to a giant squid. "Uh, wow. Stabler, baby, are you sure you wanna get married? I mean, once you put the ring on, you become a one-woman man." Jeffries smirked suggestively at Elliot and licked her lips.

Taking the ring back from her, he smiled and said, "I already am. I'm asking her tonight. She doesn't know I bought a ring."

"Okay, you're marrying a woman that we didn't even know you were dating? Do we even know who she _is_?" Cassidy asked. Elliot laughed and shook his head. "The same girl you've been trying to find all month."

"Wha...whoa...you and....Agent Benson?" Jeffries asked, her voice low, irritated and angry.

"I know. It's crazy, right? But, you're all, well, like, one of you, is coming to the wedding, but you're not allowed to bring in any weapons, cameras, cell phones, pagers, pens, lipstick, eye...ya know what, you'll be frisked at the door," he said, rather than listing the other seven hundred items Munch wouldn't be allowed to bring.

Captain Cragen came out of his office in a tizzy. "Stabler, Munch...Fifty-fourth and Broadway. Body dump. M.E says it looks like a rape and murder. Cassidy, do I want to know why I've got a government agency requesting your presence? They'll be picking you up in ten minutes. Downstairs. Wait in the lobby."

Cragen walked back into his office. Cassidy, Munch and Elliot left, heading to their respective locations. Jeffries, looking around suspiciously, picked up her phone and dialed. It rang three times. "Hello, Kathy? We have a problem."

**A/N: Dun-dun-dun! Reviews? Are you still with me? **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you, thank you!! The response to this has been incredible! I love you guys! Now, the proposal! How will Commander Benson handle it? We meet an old friend! We find out what exactly Special Ops does with their criminals. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

It was well past one in the morning when Elliot walked through the elevator doors into the new, larger, higher-up-in-the-sky penthouse, which he now shared permanently with Olivia. He didn't know why he expected her to be in bed, since she hardly ever slept, but he was still shocked to see her awake and dressed in a suit, staring at the city from the panoramic window.

"I've been standing here, for the last hour, asking myself how this all happened. How one day I was taking an IQ test in my English Lit class and the next I'm being carted off to some boarding school for excessively intelligent children. It _wasn't_ a boarding school, El."

He threw his jacket over the back of an overstuffed leather chair and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "First, how did you know I was behind you because those friggin' doors open silently. Second, you are here, I believe, because you were meant to be here. This is your destiny. _I'm_ your destiny, Liv." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tighter in his arms. "Even though it was all manipulated and controlled by the government," he added with a chuckle.

"Exactly. I don't know if I'm even capable of making a decision by myself. Everything I do is somehow, someway, affected by the responsibilities I have toward this agency, and the decisions they make _for_ me. The _only _choice I've ever made for _myself _turned out to be one that they made for me, anyway." She spun around and wrapped her arms around him, looking up into his glistening eyes. "Not that it wasn't a damn good decision."

"Well, speaking of decisions. Remember how, last night, after all of the really powerful men in the entire world left, you said that there was a difference, at Special Ops, between getting married and being assigned as your permanent life companion?" He stuck his hand in his pocket, grabbing a hold of the black box.

"Yeah," she said pulling away from him and walking toward the coffee machine. She pushed three buttons and walked back toward Elliot. "Weddings aren't necessary. You just have to sign a form, make a public declaration. No white dress, no tux, no friends and family. Kind of a jip, but a lot less stressful and I'm allergic to flowers."

"We can get artificial ones," he said as he pulled out the box.

Olivia laughed. "El, I just told you we don't have to have a....what is that?" He took her hand and led her back to the large window, and knelt down on one knee. "I told you that we are going to do this right. In my mind, that means you get a real wedding. Because, you told me the other day, in bed, that you've had it planned since you were nine. The dress, the cake, you'll throw the _fake_ bouquet, and watch the hilarity ensue when three hundred people, who are _trained _to _catch_ things, go after it at once." He popped the box open and Olivia sucked in a breath and dropped to her knees herself.

"Coming down to my level?" he asked with a laugh. "I know I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with Commander Benson, which, with the help of several hundred bodyguards and Dr. Warner is going to be a long-ass time. But, what I'm asking, is, does _Olivia _Benson want to _marry_ me? Will you marry me, Liv?"

She didn't understand why she was crying. She was overjoyed! Didn't people cry because they were _sad?_ She wiped her eyes and laughed, smiling at Elliot. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." She threw herself onto him, kissed him madly and said "I love you" approximately thirty-nine times. Laughing, Elliot slid out from underneath her and took her left hand in his, slipping the ring on her finger. "I love you, too, baby." "What time is it?" she asked, kissing him again.

"Almost two, why?" he kissed her back, then kissed her chin, neck, and collarbone. "Because, I've got two hours before I need to start my day. I want to spend those two hours in our bedroom, wearing nothing but this ring, making love to you."

"That can be arranged," Elliot said, rising to his feet and scooping her up in his arms. He carried her to the bedroom and kicked the door closed, thanking God that their penthouse was soundproof.

* * *

Munch was staring at the vacant seat across from him. "Has anyone seen Cassidy?"

Elliot handed him a file and took another one off of his desk. "Not since yesterday, Munch. Sorry."

"I've called his cell six times. We have to appear in court in fifteen minutes and...Agent Benson! Good morning, precious!"

"Good morning, Munch. Oh, it's Commander Benson, now. These new guys will probably harm you if you get that wrong again. They don't take kindly to incorrect nomenclature." She shook Munch's hand, and he took the time to gaze at the ring. "Oh, yeah, hey! Congratulations! You gonna change your name? Gonna be Commander Stabler?"

She laughed as Elliot popped his head up. They hadn't discussed that. "Well, no. Unfortunately, my identity at Special Ops will always be Benson. However, between you and me, it'll say Stabler on my driver's license." She shot a wink at Elliot, who shot one right back. "Regretfully, this is not a social visit. I've come to inform you that Cassidy will not be able to testify with you today. I do, however, have his sworn statement and a letter, from me, for you to give to the judge. You'll find that everything is in order and if the defense wants to ask questions that Cassidy has not answered in his statement, just have the judge hand the defense attorney the letter, from me."

After handing Munch the file containing the statement and the letter, she walked past Munch, breezed by Jeffries and walked, unannounced, without knocking, into Captain Cragen's office. A moment passed. She came back out with a satisfied smirk on her face, followed by Cragen, who was livid. Olivia stopped by Jeffries' desk, picked up the receiver of her phone, and unscrewed the bottom. She pulled out a small, black chip with a blinking red light and turned to Jeffries. She smiled evilly, narrowed her eyes and said, "Gotcha."

She walked back to the middle of the room and spoke again. "Cassidy will be back tomorrow. He's been assisting us with an important matter, and Captain Cragen, we appreciate you giving him the time to do so. Jeffries, however, will not be back so soon." With a snap and a gesture, two of the men behind Olivia marched over and grabbed Jeffries, one on either side. "This," she said as another agent stepped forward, "Is Odafin Tutuola. He has, voluntarily, of course, resigned as a Special Ops agent and will be taking one of the, now abandoned, positions here at SVU. I assure you, this man is quite capable of handling any case you can throw at him. Have a good day." She nodded briskly to her unit and they all filed out.

"So," Munch began, "She said your name was Agent Odafin Tutu what now?"

The man laughed. "Chill, bro. I'm not in Ops anymore. Call me 'Fin'

"Munch, you're due in court! Go," Cragen yelled from his office. Munch ran out of the room with Benson's file in his hands.

Elliot had to ask. "Fin, right? How, and I'm just asking 'cause I'm curious, I'd never ask her to, do you _leave _Special Ops?"

"Simple," Fin replied. "Die."

"Well, uh, that is not what I meant," Elliot said with wide eyes. Fin laughed and started playing with the slinky on Cassidy's desk. "I'm messin' with ya man. Since you're...ya know..._you_, I can talk. There's a thirty day out-clause for most people."

"Out-clause? Like a money-back-guarantee?"

Fin chuckled. "Yeah, man. You get to keep your old life on the side for thirty-days, test the waters in the agency. If you hate it, they let you slide right back into the old you. If you decide you hate it, say, on day thirty-one, tough. You're stuck until you either fuck-up or die."

Elliot hummed. "What did you mean, most people?"

"There's a select group, maybe five percent of the Ops, that are _chosen_. Tagged at birth, somehow, like an alarm goes off when their born or some shit I dunno. Thne they're _watched_. Then at fifteen, some guy shows up at Wherever The Fuck High School and gives these little geniuses some Mensa-type IQ test. If they fail, they're dropped and Ops stops watching them, they lead normal, happy lives. If they pass, they're pulled out of their little suburban school, away from their family and friends and tossed into a Special Ops training academy. They learn serious shit. Fourteen different languages, hand-to-hand combat, computer hacking, and this is all in the first year. Imagine what they know by graduation."

Elliot, speechless, ran a hand through his hair. "Well, hell. So, these kids, what happens to them?"

"Dunno," Fin said. "Resigned before I could find out. Some freaky shit goes on in that agency, Stabler. I mean, they arrest people and then they...actually, I can't tell you that. You aren't cleared to know that much. Sorry man."

"It's cool. I can just ask my fiancée," he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat when the word rolled off his tongue.

* * *

"Cats?" Olivia asked as she led three subordinates down the hall toward a holding cell. "Furry, cuddly, self-sufficient, eat-their-own-feces, cats? This woman witnesses some of the most heinous crimes on the planet and she is _afraid_ of _cats_?"

"Affirmative, Commander Benson." Agent Welken said.

"How many do we have access to at the moment?"

"Thirty. From the lab. Another five, from the Rehabilitation Ward." Welken was scrolling through information on a computer-watch as they walked. "Oh. Twelve more if cat owners relinquish their felines for the task, Ma'am."

"I'm not asking subordinate agents to give up their comfort objects, Welken. Thirty is plenty." They turned down the right hall and pushed through the metal door. Olivia held her palm over the panel and the glass door to the holding cell slid open.

"M. Jeffries, you have been charged with formally communicating and conspiring with an aggressor against a member of your own operative unit. A friend." Olivia slid a transcript of the conversation she'd had with Kathy over to her and her eyes widened. As Jeffries picked up the papers, she heard a cry, not unlike a cat's meow.

"What the fuck was that, Benson?" Fear in the woman's eyes was apparent, and the smirk on Olivia's face was unmistakable.

"Sounded like a cat. The incendiary device found in Task:Stabler's vehicle was traced to , but that was simply because you used parts from his gun to make the bomb, upon further examination, your fingerprints and DNA were discovered on the components, and it was _you _who was partnered with Task:Stabler that day, giving you access to the car and opportunity to plant the explosive." The cat cried, louder and longer, when Olivia stopped talking.

A pretty black cat leaped up on to the table and slinked toward Jeffries. "Okay, yes. I did it. Kathy asked me to do her a favor, it wasn't going to kill him, just knock him out so Kathy could pick him up. Now, will you get rid of the damn cat?"

"No. I like it. It's pretty." She ran a delicate hand down the kitty's back and twisted a perfectly manicured finger around the feline's tail. "You also conspired with assailant to set up Task:Stabler after the initial attempt failed. You gave the offender a time and place and _that_, Jeffries, adds up to attempted _murder_." Olivia took a can of cat food out of her blazer pocket and popped it open, and suddenly the room filled with thirty cats, different breeds, shapes, sizes, temperaments and, since they were from the lab, different levels of illness.

Jeffries gasped, then screamed quietly. Olivia poked a finger into the mushy food, and very slowly pulled it out, scooping up a bit of the gross, tuna-fish like goop. "I would greatly enjoy watching this, but I find cat hair does not easily come off black Armani suits." She swiped her finger on Jeffries' cheek, wiping the cat food off on her caramel colored skin. Then, she set the can down in the shaking, nervous woman's lap. All this wouldn't have mattered if Jeffries wasn't _strapped_ into the chair. "Thirty hungry lab cats, and only one can of food. Gee, Jeffries, what will they eat once the can is empty?"

Olivia pressed a palm to a panel. The glass door opened, and closed again once she'd gone through it. She pushed the metal door open and, hearing Monique Jeffries' blood curdling screams fading as she walked down the hall toward her HQ office, she smirked. Being Commander wasn't so bad after all.

**A/N: Too much? Why do you think Fin **_**really**_** quit, or did he even? *doink doink* Review!?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So, what's up with Fin. And whoops, where's Kathy? Also, Liv does something sweet. Very, very, sweet!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Cassidy walked into the bullpen, pale and shaking. Munch looked at him, glanced at Elliot and Fin, then said, "Hey, Cassidy."

"Ah! I didn't do it!"

"Didn't do what, man. I just was just welcoming you back. Where the hell were you?" Munch asked, eyes widened at Cassidy's reaction.

Cassidy blinked. "I don't really know."

"You don't know where you were?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but it was awful. It was very high, up in the air, and small. Over water." Cassidy started shaking and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "God, I can't talk about this. Can we just go, like, talk to a rape victim or pick up a dead body? That's shit I can deal with."

"Man, it'll pass. You'll forget all about it in a few. Here," Fin said, handing Cassidy a cup. "Drink the espresso. You'll feel better."

With one sip, Cassidy visibly relaxed and the color in his face started to reappear. Elliot sat up a little straighter in his chair and narrowed his eyes at Fin. Then he turned his head, staring, perplexed, at the shiny, gold, espresso machine.

* * *

"Status report on , Agent Fieldman," Olivia demanded from an agent as they walked down the green corridor in Special Ops HQ. The smell of smoke, burning meat and melting rubber would make any normal person sick, but agents were trained to withstand it and other Special Ops, like Olivia, _grew up _around it.

"K. Stabler is still active CIC, Ma'am," Fieldman replied.

"How hard is it to terminate _one_ mark, Fieldman? We have visual confirmation, location is known, and appearance is recognizable! I want K. Stabler eliminated."

"CIC, Ma'am, Oppressor Monitoring and Tracking taskforces have reason to believe that K. Stabler has changed appearance and has now gone under, Ma'am." Fieldman said, pressing his palm to a panel and stepping aside to allow Olivia to step through the sliding doors before him. The smell was worse in this room and it was hot. Tremendously hot. She removed her blazer and handed it to a guard next to her, then she unbuttoned her cuffs and rolled up her sleeves.

"Fieldman," she said stopping in her tracks, causing the twelve agents around her to stop as well. "You think long and hard before you tell me that OMT has _lost_ adversary K. Stabler!"

Fieldman gulped. Looked into his Commander's evil-looking eyes and bowed his head. "CIC, Ma'am, without you at the helm, Welken has, in fact, missed a few steps taken by K. Stabler ."

Olivia stiffened her shoulders and flexed her hands, fisting them, cracking her knuckles. "You..._lost_...my antagonist?" She closed her eyes, and as calmly as she could, yet very threateningly, she gave him a new order. "Fieldman, you will go back to OMT, you will use every single version of facial recognition software we have, run it on every computer we've got and you will find K. Stabler before oh-nine-hundred tomorrow, or you will be the next body in the incinerator and I will throw you in it myself."

"Yes, Ma'am, CIC, Ma'am." Fieldman marched away to start his search as Olivia turned and continued walking through the incinerator room, closely followed by the many agents at her heels. She whipped out her cell phone and dialed a number, speaking cheerfully when he answered. "Fin!"

* * *

"Baby-Girl! What's up? Shit, that sucks. Oh, yeah? Well, you're gonna get rid of that one because that smell does not come out of cotton. The new job's great. People are cool. Munch is spooky. Keeps talkin' about Elvis and aliens. Cassidy is, well, you know. And Stabler is...yes. He is. He will be, Baby-Girl, I got this! You know it! Okay, bye." He slapped his phone shut and turned to see Munch glaring at him, looking annoyed.

"Um, I am not spooky," Munch said, peering over his sunglasses.

"Have you _seen_ yourself?" Fin quipped.

Elliot looked at Fin and smirked. "So, who is she? This _'baby-girl'_ of yours? And what have you been telling her about _me_?"

Fin laughed. "Just a friend. And I was telling her how _cool_ I think you are, aside from the fact that you have a _bad_ temper. Did you really have to punch the wall, man?"

"It was either the wall or the suspect's face, Fin. I'm already on IAB's shit list." Elliot flinched as Cassidy wrapped up his hand. "Sorry, bro," Cassidy said.

"Dude, I think you're forgetting who you are now. IAB wouldn't do shit to you if you marched up to Tucker himself and bit his nose off. Not that you would," Fin said, laughing. "If they tried, if they even thought about it, they'd be in deep shit."

Elliot, ran a finger over his bruised, bandaged hand and looked intently at Fin. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Fin, under his breath, barely audible muttered, "Shit. You really _don't_ know, do you?"

* * *

Olivia was standing over the table with her headset on, lighting white candles. She stood back and scrunched up her face. "Hampton, are you sure there are only supposed to be two? It's not making it very bright. I'm barely going to be able to see my plate in front of me."

"CIC, Ma'am, the manual says two, but you do have an abnormally _large _dining room table. Maybe if you moved the place settings closer together, the candles would not be required to be in the middle of the table."

"Nice hypothesis. Hold on." She moved the plate that had been all the way on the opposite end of the thirty foot table to the chair next to hers. Then, she pulled the lit candles from the middle of the table to just between the two set places. "Hampton, that looks silly. It's not symmetrical at all, it looks..."

"Perfect," Elliot said from behind her.

Her head snapped up and she froze. "Hampton, I have to go. Report at oh-four-hundred, my office." Olivia threw her headset off and turned around, smiling, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Surprise?"

"What are you doing, Liv?" He smirked, raised an eyebrow and walked over to her, wrapping his brawny arms around her slinky frame. He noticed she was wearing a little red dress. "You look incredible, by the way. Colors look wonderful on you." He pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss.

"Wow. That was one hell of a kiss." She laughed. "Thank you for the, uh, compliment. As for what I'm doing? I have _no_ _fucking_ _clue_. I was, uh, _trying_ to set-up a romantic candlelight dinner, but I..."

"Did a wonderful job. What's the occasion?" he asked, planting a kiss on the end of her nose.

"Oh, shit! You _need_ an actual _occasion_?" She pulled away from him in a panic and he laughed. "No, no, baby, you don't. It's_ just_ an _expression_. God, I am gonna _love_ teaching you about life in the real world."

"And I am gonna _hate_ ripping it all away from you," she said, smiling sadly at him.

Elliot pulled her back toward him and kissed her. "I already told you, I don't mind. I didn't have much of a life out there anyway. You're only making it better."

She ran her hands through his hair. "I just wanted to do something special for you. I love you, and you love me, and that's all the reason I needed." She kissed him, letting her lips linger lightly over his for a moment. "If we eat fast, we can get to dessert faster."

"Wait, _you_, Little-Miss-I-haven't-eaten-sugar-since-I-was-fifteen, ordered us _dessert_?" He pulled her chair out for her, then tucked her in when she sat. He sat in his seat and picked up the fork, looking down at the steak and potatoes he knew she made Chef Nougét prepare just for him and smirked.

"Well, not a cake or anything crazy." She put a small, square bite of grilled chicken into her mouth and smiled at him. "Just some whipped cream and chocolate sauce. A couple of cherries."

Chewing on the best steak he'd ever had, he looked up at his fiancée and laughed. "We're having ice cream?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes and gave Elliot a smoldering look as her lips slowly grazed a piece of broccoli off of her fork. Elliot never knew vegetables could be so erotic. She smirked again. "Silly man, who said _anything_ about ice cream?"

The heartburn he gave himself by inhaling an entire steak and very large potato in under two minutes was _so_ worth it.

**A/N: I love you all for reading and the feedback is SO wonderful. Thank you so much. Please, keep it coming. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Huang comes back. We find out what Fin's purpose is and what Elliot "doesn't know" shocks the living hell out of him. Liv finds Kathy, but where she was is what's pretty damn interesting.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"How do they expect us to sit in this car all night. This guy ain't leavin' man." Fin and Elliot were on a stakeout. They were told to sit on a suspect who was, it was suggested, breaking house arrest and attempting to leave his apartment.

"I know, it's already...shit four in the morning? Liv's gonna kill me!" His opened wider and he corrected himself. "Benson! Benson's gonna kill me! I haven't been home in twenty-four hours." Elliot looked down at his phone and contemplated calling her. She'd be in a meeting of some kind right now and wouldn't answer.

"Dude," Fin said, "I'm sure she understands. Besides, didn't she have that thing in London? I thought she wasn't gonna be home last night anyway."

"Oh, yeah!" Elliot relaxed, then furrowed his brow. "But, hey how the hell did you know that?" Elliot looked at Fin who just smirked. He turned back to Elliot and said, "Alex was pretty tough on you today, man."

"The new A.D.A? Nah, she's just trying to prove she can't be pushed around. It's only been a month. She's very nice once she's out of the courtroom. We went to lunch a couple of times before, well, before I met Benson. She's very, uh, _forward_," he said with a laugh.

"Is that our guy?" Fin asked, pointing out the window. He opened the door and started walking toward the figure as Elliot did the same from the other side of the car. They stayed close to each other and close to the man they were tailing. They were about to make their move when shots were fired at them from a high spot from across the street. Without hesitation, Fin dove in front of Elliot and knocked him over, pulling a large gun from his pocket. He began firing in the direction from which the initial shots came, and he saw a limber figure leaping and diving over a rooftop out of view. "Fuck," Fin muttered.

"Ow, man. What the hell did you push me for, I _do_ have a gun of my own." Elliot said, rubbing his head and scooting back toward Fin. "Did you get hit? Shot?" Fin asked in a rushed and forceful way. "No, dude. You knocked my ass flying behind the fucking car! Which is shot to fucking pieces, by the way." Elliot looked over at him and asked, "You hit?" Fin nodded. "I'll live."

"He won't." Fin followed Elliot's gaze and gasped. Whoever had fired at them had shot and killed the rapist they'd been tailing. "Well, at least Alex can clear _this_ case off her calendar," Elliot said, looking on the bright side. Fin looked up, then snorted. "I can see what Benson means, man. You really _are_ perfect for her. Same dry, morbid sense of humor. Call this in, man. I have a phone call to make."

* * *

They were sitting at a round table, Olivia in the largest seat, as Dr. Huang made his presentation. "Based on the letter found on the initial innocent's body, and the analysis of tagged and obtained conversations and correspondence with M. Jeffries, I can verify that un-sub now known as K. Stabler is, in fact, irrevocably obsessed with Task:Stabler. Defined by an irrational, unreasonable idea or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety, obsession can turn violent if the object of that obsession is made completely unattainable. We have reason to believe, my staff and myself, that K. Stabler did not intend to _kill_ Task:Stabler until M. Jeffries disclosed the news of his impending nuptials to Commander Benson. Now, K. Stabler feels that death is the _only_ thing that will save Task:Stabler from making the mistake of spending life with someone who is _not_ K. Stabler."

"What is the normal literary American adage? If I can't have you, no one can?" Olivia said snidely to her unit. "K. Stabler, I have been informed, has attempted to terminate Task:Stabler only moments ago. Fortunately Agent Tutuola, who is handling both of his new tasks brilliantly, made sure Task:Stabler remained unharmed. However, an innocent, who was a convicted assailant and therefore deemed mere collateral damage, was terminated. Agent Tutuola has been wounded, injury minor. Not perilous. With this new insight, it can be inferred that K. Stabler is still in the immediate Manhattan vicinity and is escalating in her violent attempts to reach her goal. I am aware that, as per the order, I have removed myself as Leader of Task:Stabler, but it has come to my attention that the people I have left in charge, with the exception of Agent Tutuola, are incompetent and inept and not ready for a task of their own. I'm reassigning myself. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the field, bringing this bitch down." She rose from her chair and left the room, leaving twelve stunned men in shock, suddenly shouting and blaming each other for losing their task.

* * *

"You sure you're okay?" Elliot asked nervously, watching as an E.M.T patched up Fin's arm.

"Man, you act like I've never been shot before," Fin said, calmly drinking a soda while the E.M.T stitched up the bullet hole in his flesh. "I have. A lot. In places that hurt worse than my arm, so chill."

Elliot nodded, then grimaced as the body bag, with their suspect inside, was lifted into an ambulance and carted away. "Our M.E isn't going to like this."

"Your M.E isn't taking this. Warner is. You found a pot of gold sitting in a pile of shit when you found Benson, man. She's the gold, Ops is the shit."

Elliot laughed. "Yeah, are you gonna explain? You keep telling me that I'm in some kind of trouble, or I can't _get_ into trouble, which is it?"

Fin handed Elliot the soda can, then turned to the E.M.T and shooed him away. Once the medic was gone, he began. "Elliot, when Ops found out _you_ were Benson's task a year ago, she was _supposed_ to be given a new, uh, they call it a mate. Me. I fell, pretty damn hard, but she just....it _wasn't there_, ya know? She wasn't interested and decided she'd rather just be married to the job until RTF found _the one_, but we became buddies. Well, I consider _her_ a buddy, she considers _me_ an agent. She doesn't _do_ 'friends'. When she met you face-to-face when the task went into Phase One, her system went haywire. You triggered all sorts of emotional and physical reactions she _shouldn't_ have felt. Ops had no choice but to give you back to her until CIC could change their policies. The CIC was killed before he could do that, and she pulled rank and then made you her mate again, because she honestly _loves_ you, something she is supposed to be incapable of feeling. Elliot, I don't even think she knows this, because it's a fairly new policy, and she hasn't finished reading her CIC Manual and Handbook yet. When you marry her, _you_ become Second-In-Command."

Elliot was hyperventilating. He looked pale. He looked down at the can of soda in his hand and drank what was left in one gulp. "Please, tell me you're lying. You're shitting me, you're joking, it's April Fool's Day, right?"

"Dude, it is May fourteenth. I'm not lying, joking, shitting or any other 'ing', just telling you what you got yourself into. In three days, when you sign that little piece of paper, ain't no one in the world gonna be able to piss you off and get away with it anymore. You'll be untouchable. Unfortunately, that means these next three days are gonna suck. This Kathy chick knows. And she knows that she's gotta kill you before doing so becomes a national fucking tragedy," Fin laughed. "That's some serious shit, man. In three days, if someone so much as steps on your foot and doesn't apologize, they face assault charges. Pretty wild, huh?"

Elliot ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. Olivia had said he'd be out in the field and on tasks with her, which was cool, he fucking loved that shit. Lived for it, even. But, Fin had just shook his world up a bit. In three days, he'd be, basically, in charge of running parts of an agency that he, himself, didn't completely understand. "Wild. Yeah."

* * *

"Commander Benson, it was never the intention of this force to disrupt or inhibit the task in any way, Ma'am," Welken said as he followed her and seventeen other agents and guards into the brick building.

"And yet you _have_ Welken. Why is it that, I _remove_ myself from a task for two twenty-four-hour periods and you _lose_ the un-sub, the task is _shot _at, an _innocent_ is _terminated_ and your new Task Leader is _injured_, but the moment _I'm_ back at the helm and in front of a computer I_ locate_ K. Stabler and we're off and running?" Olivia asked, hypothetically of course, as they turned and headed into their second home, the 1-6 Special Victims Unit.

"I believe it is because you are what is known as a genetic agent, Ma'am, and therefore are better than the rest of us," Hampton offered.

"Damn straight, Hampton," Olivia said with a smirk. She led the band of merry men into the bullpen and stopped in front of Elliot's desk. "Hey," she said with a tilt of the head.

He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, yourself, Commander Benson."

She forgot where she was for a moment and leaned over his desk. She pulled his tie, bringing him toward her. "You, you perfect male specimen, don't have to call me "Commander". Unless, you _really_ want to, in which case I'm sure I can find _many_ ways to _make_ you follow _orders_ and...

"Commander Benson," Welken said, clearing his throat.

She dropped Elliot's tie, straightened up and cleared her own throat. "I need to speak with your captain, Fin and you, Stabler, it's imperative."

Elliot, trying to forget that his future wife just offered to be a dominatrix, if he so desired, rose from his seat, followed by Fin, and led Olivia into Captain Cragen's office.

Cragen rose the minute the door opened. "Commander Benson, this is a pleasant surprise. We didn't call you in. To what do I owe the visit?"

"Well, Uncle Don, the unit, oh, who am I kidding? _I_ have located K. Stabler. I need to know when you expect to have your next contact with an Assistant District Attorney named Alexandra Cabot."

Cragen flipped through the calendar on his desk. "Well, she's a new A.D.A, she's only been around for about a month, our next trial is in a week. Oh, um, Elliot has a meeting with her and a recent parolee tomorrow. Trying to keep him behind bars," he explained.

Olivia instinctively gripped Elliot's hand. He glanced down and saw that her hand was shaking, just the _tiniest_ bit, as it clasped his tightly, but her tone was cool, almost cold, and professional. "Well, Fin will accompany Elliot to this meeting. I will be close, armed and ready, with several other agents."

"Um, are you expecting Kathy to show up at the meeting?" Cragen asked, looking worriedly at Elliot.

Not really caring about etiquette, since the only three people in the world she _trusted_ were the only people in the room, she pulled herself closer to Elliot. "Uncle Don, I _know _she's going to be there. K. Stabler _is_, thanks to some _very_ good plastic surgery, Assitant District Attorney A. Cabot."

**A/N: I'm horrible, I know. Sorry, Alex! Review so I can post 15!!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, wow! Your reviews are amazing!!! THANK YOU!! In this installment, which of the three people Liv trusts has **_**betrayed**_** her? Will we finally come face to face with Kathy, er, Alex, um...Kathy? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, narrative and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

When Olivia got back to her office at HQ, four things had been plaguing her mind. A lot? Not when you practically run the government singlehandedly. One: Since she had been sworn in as CIC, she was surrounded by several guards at all times. They were even posted outside the emergency entrance to her swanky new penthouse and two large, armed, men practically _lived_ in her elevator. Where were they all when CIC Marsden had been shot?

Two: How the _hell_ did someone not _notice _the _real _Alex had gone missing for three _days_, and when she quote-unquote "came back", she had a raging hard-on for Elliot and had no idea who anyone else was? Sure, she was a new ADA but she wasn't a _dumbass!_

Three: What was the odd sensation she felt when she'd realized the person trying to kill Elliot had been working with him? Close to him? Talking to him on a daily basis? The new perception, whatever it was, made her queasy, made her hands shake, and it made her want to leap into his arms, grab onto his head, and never let go. No sir. She didn't like it.

And four: Elliot was handling all of this very well. _Too_ well. _Civilians_ were supposed to _panic_. They were supposed to have minor heart attacks when they realized someone was after them trying to _end _their goddamn _life_ in a violent manner, and they were _supposed_ to cower in _fear_ and _run away_ like _little girls_ when they came head-to-head with the _gross realization_ that _every conspiracy theory_ in the _world_ had been _right_. Especially, if they were asked to _give up their life_ and _join_ the agency _responsible!_

Olivia pulled a thick leather book off of a shelf, three files out of a locked metal cabinet and called in Huang and Hampton for a meeting. She opened the book and flipped through its pages, solving problem three right away. _Fear_. She knew what it was. Civilians, her innocents, they felt it all the time. They told her they were "afraid" on several occasions. That's what she felt? And _that_ was a problem. She made a mental note to call Warner and have whatever part of her brain that caused that emotion removed from her body immediately. She could not risk _ever_ feeling that again. She would hesitate, she would panic, she would lose him.

As she opened the first file on her desk, she didn't understand what she was seeing at first. These papers and forms should only be in the file of a genetic agent, someone like her. Here they were, plain as day. And there went problem number four. The signed order requisitioning his birth, the monthly growth and progress reports, the Photostats detailing his physical geometry and symmetry on each annual visit to the sactioned physician. Then, there was the IQ test. The red stamp on the top had said _"INADEQUATE: DO NOT RETAIN",_ but Olivia scanned the exam and all of his answers were correct. Why, if he passed the exam with flying colors, was he not whisked away to suffer the same sinister fate as Olivia? She'd have to ask his watcher, the man assigned to evaluate and submit approval for the program. She looked through the file for the watcher's contract and when she found it, her eyes welled up with tears. Sad ones. "What the hell? Cry when you're sad or cry when you're happy. You can and should not do both!" she scolded herself. For at the bottom of the contract, a firm, scrawled signature, plain as day, read "Captain Donald R. Cragen."

As her security panel bleeped, she wiped her eyes and slid the file into the top drawer of her desk. "Access granted," she said sternly. Drs. Warner and Huang came in to discuss problem number two. They'd found the real Alex and brought her back to the Hospital wing at HQ, and she had absolutely no idea who or where she was.

* * *

"Look man, nothing is going to happen to you. I'm not going to let…_Benson_ is not going to let anything happen to you. You need to chill." Fin had been trying to calm Elliot down for over an hour. The thing was, Elliot wasn't scared or nervous. He was laughing like a hyena.

Knee-slapping, leg-thumping, eye-watering laughter was erupting from Elliot, who was practically rolling on the floor. "Dude, this is fuckin' funny! My brother's psycho wife, my ex-girlfriend from high-school, has a monster crush on me, so she kidnaps the A.D.A and takes her place, takes me out to lunch, tries to seduce me, then flips shit when I fall for the most powerful woman in the world, and the she tries to kill me! And the _really_ funny thing is that I think it's fuckin' funny!"

"Okay, up. Stop laughing. This ain't funny!" Fin yelled, ripping Elliot off of the floor and planting him in his chair. "This is serious, man. You're on crack, aren't you?"

"No," Elliot said, trying to hold in a laugh. "But, that might not be a bad idea if I live through this." And there he went, cackling again.

"We've only got an hour. Shit. She'll hurt me if I don't make sure you're completely impenetrable, though, I'm not really allowed to use that shit. She didn't clear….forget it." Fin pulled Elliot out of the desk and ushered him into an empty interrogation room. He opened an evidence locker and pulled out a large black metal box. He pressed a palm to the top of the box and it popped open.

Inside, Elliot recognized it, was a techno-vest. Only it was thinner, with no pockets. "Take off your shirt, put this on, put your shirt back on over it," Fin commanded. He then, from the bottom of the box, took a spray can out. A very fast beeping started, so Fin took a pocket knife out of his pocket and popped the sensor alarm off the top of the can.

Fin looked up at Elliot's alarmed expression and said, "Uh, Ops hasn't finished testing this shit yet, so I'm not supposed to be opening it."

"Then why are you…"

"Because, I promised her that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. This, if it does what the science guy says it does, is gonna help me keep that promise," Fin said as he flipped the top off of the can and started spraying the harsh smelling aerosol profusely around Elliot's head.

"What the hell, bro? You can't just go around spraying fucking _untested_ hairspray on people! I'm gonna grow a _third eye_ or seven giant _horns_ or something!" Elliot shouted through his fit of coughing and arm flailing.

Fin chuckled but kept spraying. "Oh, you are _not_. And it's _not_ hairspray."

Elliot took a deep breath when Fin stopped spraying him, the heavy scent of chlorine, metal and latex filling his lungs, and asked, "Well, what the hell is that shit, then?"

"Remember when Benson said she'd make you bulletproof today?" Fin asked tossing the empty can in the trash.

"Yeah," Elliot said, raising an eyebrow.

Fin closed the metal box and tossed it back into the evidence locker, turned and smirked at Elliot. "She just did."

**A/N: Well, you didn't think I was just gonna throw them into battle in chapter 15 did you? Thoughts? Reviews? Chapter 16 will be the moment you've been waiting for! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Oh, what's that Olivia? You've found Kathy? Get her girl, get her!**

**DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Dick Wolf, Wolf Films and Universal/NBC. Everything else belongs to me, ONLY me, mine, all mine, thanks for understanding TStabler©**

With problems two through four out of the way, Olivia and her "chosen ones", the men delegated to take this task with her, were in a large black room packing on task vests and equipment. The room, then, started to move. Up. "Away we go, boys," Olivia said, smirking. "Ready, Commander," the twelve agents said in unison. When the doors opened, Olivia and her unit strode to the waiting helicopter, it's blades whirring quite silently and it's stealthy, black body hovering an inch above the ground, as it had no landing gear, and climbed aboard.

The pilot turned to Olivia as the chopper began to head toward its destination. "Commander Benson, I received news of the unfortunate agency-sanctioned termination of Agent Porter. Porter was a good agent, Ma'am. My condolences."

"Your condolences are unnecessary, but appreciated, Malcolm. Porter deserved everything he got. His crimes against this agency and myself were despicable. His loss is not considered a loss at all." Olivia put her microscopic earpiece on, pulling out the tiny wire microphone, and loaded her fatal weapon. "Drop us off on the roof of the cafe across from the courthouse."

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am," Malcolm said as he flew the undetectable chopper over the city. Olivia sighed as she looked out the window. She really _hated_ that the part of her brain that controlled fear, part of the limbic system Warner called the amygdala, also controlled several other new emotions that she wasn't prepared to give up just yet. Love being the one that made her decide to keep the damn thing. Sitting with her weapon in her hands and an expressionless face, she was finally able to sympathize with all of her innocents who'd used the term "afraid".

* * *

"So, uh, Alex," Elliot said as they rode toward the courthouse in Fin's car. "What are our chances of getting this guy's parole denied?" He was trying not to act suspicious, trying to stay cool. Stay normal.

"Well, considering he's raped thirty women, the most recent victim still lying in a coma at St. Vincent's, pretty damn good, Elliot." She smiled, coyly, at him and winked. Elliot's stomach churned, but he smiled back, weakly. "Fin," the blonde said, "stop the car.

"But, we ain't there yet, and we have an appointment with the..." he stopped when a gun was held to his head and the trigger was cocked. "Well, ya know, he's in jail. He ain't goin' anywhere right?" Fin pulled the car over and parked it.

"Out, Fin," the crazy woman spat.

"You ain't gotta tell me twice." Fin opened his car door and bolted, leaving Elliot alone in the car with Kathy, who had a gun.

"Um....Alex? You wanna put the gun down, kiddo?" Elliot said, hoping being nice would earn him brownie points. Or at least a few extra seconds to live.

A bitter, evil laugh came ripping from Kathy's throat and she grabbed Elliot's collar, pulling him into the backseat. "You can stop calling me Alex, Elliot. Call me Kathy." She pounced, pressing her lips to his in, what can only be described as, the worst, most awkward kiss ever. Elliot was trying to shove her away, he had his hand on her face pushing her head away from his and he even tried to bite her nose to get her to move. "Oh, you like it rough, now? That's different. I like it," she said before reaching for his belt buckle.

Something landed on the hood of the car, like a brick, or a rock. It didn't sound that heavy and it wasn't moving, but it distracted Kathy for a moment. "What was that?"

Wiping his mouth, spitting and trying to get the door next to him open, Elliot replied, "I don't know. I don't care. I don't like you."

She laughed again. "Oh, Elliot, baby. You _love_ me, remember? We're _supposed_ to be _together._ We talked about it all the time. It's supposed to be _you_ and _me_ and a houseful of kids," she said running the barrel of the gun down the side of his face and front of his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to telepathically scream for Olivia, hoping they shared some sort of psychic connection thathe wasn't aware of, yet. "Four _beautiful_ kids. I wanted five, but you said four would be _plenty,_ if I remember correctly...what the fuck!?" The door behind her was ripped clear off its hinges and thrown halfway down the road. An arm, a hand, reached in and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her out roughly and throwing her to the ground.

Elliot ran out through the now _very open_ door and prepared to thank Fin. But, _Fin _was _across the street_ with several other agents in black, aiming their weapons. Confused, Elliot looked around to the top of the car and his eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he backed away very slowly, stopping only when his back came to rest against the car. Kathy rolled over onto her back and pushed herself up to her elbows, shaking her head. She blinked her eyes open and squinted. "How the hell...did you?"

Olivia jumped down from the car, landing on her feet, and aimed her weapon. "Good genes and even better training," she said. Olivia took a step forward, toward Kathy, who was now on her feet and aiming her own gun. Olivia stepped forward, again, quickly and spoke. "Do not do anything unwise. Look aound you. _One_ wrong move and these men fire their weapons. All that will remain of you will be that necklace you're wearing, and that's _only_ if it's _real_ silver."

"Did you really think I expected to come out of this alive? I want to be with Elliot forever. For _eternity_. In _death_." Kathy raised her gun, aiming at Elliot, but Olivia's reflexes were lighting fast. She kicked the gun out of her hand and grabbed Kathy's arm. In retaliation, Kathy bent forward and swung her head back, hitting Olivia in the nose. Olivia kneed Kathy in the back causing her to cry out in excruciating pain. She reared up and moved to elbow Olivia in the ribs, but Olivia grabbed her arm and twisted, bringing Kathy to her knees. Kathy seemed to be down, but only for a moment. While she was on her knees, she ripped Olivia's fatal weapon off of her task vest and fired in the direction of Fin's car. Panic rose in Olivia's chest, her heart jumped, she started to shake, she wasn't just scared she was _terrified._ She ran, as fast as she could and dove in front of Elliot.

Several more flaming shots rang out, one after the other, and when the smoke cleared, when the agents ceased their firing, Kathy was gone. Fin walked out into the road and picked up the burnt, charred, almost pliable necklace. "Guess it was real silver."

Suddenly, as if they'd just remembered why they had to disintegrate a human being, all thirteen pairs of eyes, twelve agents plus Fin, turned at once toward the car. Elliot sat crumpled on the ground, holding the limp body of the only woman he'd ever loved. He was in shock. Hot, streaming tears were pouring out of his eyes by the gallon. He scooped her up into his arms and sobbed harshly into her chest. "No, no, no! Why!? You should have let her shoot me, Liv! The magic hairspray would have...no, baby, no." He rocked her lifeless form in his arms and cried. "I love you, Liv."

The agents stepped forward, removing their hats and bowing their heads. One by one they stepped forward and saluted. And just as Hampton was about to call Universal and report a Time of Death, she _coughed._

"Commander Benson?" Fin asked with excited nervousness.

A groan, a roll of the head, another cough. Elliot shook her a bit and kissed her forehead. "Liv, baby? Come on, Liv, live!"

"Benson," she said in hoarse whisper, her eyes still closed and her head lolled to one side. "Name's 'Benson' when other..."

"People are around," he finished for her, a slight chuckle in his voice. "I know, baby." Elliot finished for her. He then, overjoyed, not caring who the hell was watching, planted a very intense, emotion filled kiss on her lips.

"El," she said a bit louder, "Help me up."

He wiped his eyes, and sniffled and said, "I'll do ya one better." He picked her up into his arms as he stood up himself. She wrapped her hands around his neck and looked over at Fin. "Well, now we know _Task-Vest-In-A-Can_ works. I want them to work on the name. It sounds like some sort of practical joke," she said. She peered back up at Elliot. "Magic hairspray? Fin! You sprayed it on him? Agent Tutuola! That was against orders, against policy, you didn't even know what side-effects it might have had on him!"

Fin looked up at the very angry Commander who looked incredibly threatening, even though she was being cradled in her crying fiancée's arms. "Baby-Girl, I was just trying to..."

"Thank you," she said warmly, interrupting him, knowing that the words alone would never be enough to truly express how grateful she was.

* * *

His hand shook as he put the letter he'd just finished reading down on his desk. He knew what they did to people who fucked-up. He never thought they'd find out. Not as long as Marsden was CIC anyway. He had nightmares about it when Benson took over, but he never thought she'd check the file. What reason did she have? She trusted Elliot, so why bother reading his file? It didn't matter. He was given time, at least. They were getting married tomorrow, which meant she would be using all of her free time to be with Elliot. She had a meeting with the President and then she had a task in Asia, but when she came back, he would have to explain himself, and she wasn't going to like what he had to say. The future did not look bright for Captain Cragen.

**A/N: The next chapter is going to be interstitial, focusing on Problem Number One and the aftermath of Olivia being afraid, and a bit of post-saving-your-life-SMUT. Reviews on this first?? **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: SMUT kind of whacks you on the head here, be warned. And what does Oliva uncover about Marsden's death?**

**DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Dick Wolf, Wolf Films and Universal/NBC. **_**Everything else**_** belongs to **_**me**_**, thanks for understanding TStabler©**

They stepped through the elevator doors at two in the morning. After the task had commenced Phase Four, and then ultimately culminated with the death of their target, they had several meetings, then the final fitting for her wedding dress and his tux, a press conference, then a cake testing with the chef, then Olivia had to be checked out by Dr. Huang, Dr. Warner and they were both examined by a team of scientists to determine if the aerosol protectant spray had any adverse effects on them. Then, she had to hold a meeting with the Commission, the group of men in positions of power, to discuss the matter of one of their own betraying his task and the agency. Elliot, already on the outside looking in when it came to matters at Special Ops, was even more confused when Captain Cragen had not been in his usual seat. By the time everything was finished, Olivia seemed to forget that, for the first time, she'd willingly flung herself in front of a usually-fatal weapon's charge out of _fear _for the life of someone she _loved._ Elliot, however, didn't.

"Hey, where are you running off to so fast?" he asked as she sprinted into one of the many hallways in their vast penthouse.

"To take a shower. I smell like I've been sitting in an over-chlorinated swimming pool that's been filled with quarters, dimes and nickels and mayonnaise that's been left out in the sun too long. That spray-shit worked, and it better have because I spent four days testing it on random objects, but man, does it reek!" Olivia replied as she started to remove her sweat-drenched, now weapon-proof suit.

"I know. I smell the same way." Elliot took a step closer to her. "You saved my life," he said with another two steps toward her.

"Yes, El. You're really good at figuring things out! You should be a detective!" she exclaimed sarcastically, with a smile. "It was my job, so don't start getting all emotional here, okay?"

"You screamed," he said, taking the shirt she was unbuttoning into his hands and finishing for her.

Olivia cleared her throat. She had hoped that she only screamed in her mind. "What? I did what now?"

"It wasn't loud, but you screamed. Were you, um, you weren't _scared_, were you?" Elliot looked up at her as he slid the shirt down her shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

She scoffed. "Of course not! Why would I have any _reason_ to be? I was just…oh, hell," she sighed and looked into his eyes, which were now narrowed, and there was a smirk playing at his lips. "I was very afraid, yes. Not of K. Stabler! _Not_ of _the target_. And I wasn't afraid of _dying_, I accepted the risks of this job a long time ago and I know that death is a possibility, a very real one, and it's fine."

Elliot pulled her closer, and moved, dragging her into the bedroom. "So, then, what _were_ you afraid of?" He moved one hand to the small of her back and the other around to the front of her slacks, and he popped the buttons apart.

Olivia closed her eyes. "Oh, Elliot, you already _know,_ don't you?"

"I want you to say it. Liv, emotions are new to you and they're easier to handle if you talk about them. I don't want you locking yourself in the library every time you feel something you don't want to feel." He slid his hand in between the material of her slacks and her creamy, white hip and began to slide the pants off of her body.

Olivia bit her bottom lip and said, "I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to get to you in time, that she'd succeeded, that you'd been hurt or…"

"Killed? You were afraid for me? Baby, that's so…you didn't know Fin had that stuff?" Elliot asked, toying with the elastic of her black silk briefs. She shook her head in response. "No. He wasn't allowed to take it out of the lab. Each can was coded and tagged. It had an alarm that was supposed to go off if the can was opened."

Elliot started to suckle the spot on Olivia's neck that drove her mad and slid both hands inside her panties. "Fin, uh, he broke it. The alarm. Popped it off the can with a knife."

Olivia felt the silky material slide down her legs and join her pants on the floor. She ran her hands up Elliot's shoulders and whispered, "That wonderful, beautiful man."

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes and her training told her that this was going to be a brutally honest moment. "I was scared too, Liv. Petrified. When you jumped in front of me and I saw that ray hit you, I remembered when you told me no one survives a blast from one of those fuckers, and I instantly panicked. And then when you fell, when you fell into my arms and your eyes closed, I…I prayed that Kathy would shoot again, because I thought you were dead, baby, and I can't live without you."

Olivia pulled Elliot's shirt up over his head and tossed it behind her, tears in her eyes, and she gazed at him. "You'll never have to."

His pants were down and off in seconds and Olivia reached around to her back, unhooked her bra and let it fall, completing the collection of clothes that had been gathering at the foot of the bed. Elliot wrapped one arm around her and placed her lovingly into the middle of the bed. He crawled over her and looked down at her. "I love you, Liv," he said with an adoring gaze. She ran a hand through his hair and replied, "I love you too, El. So much. I'd give my life for you."

"You almost did, baby," Elliot whispered as he kissed her. He moved from her mouth to her chin, trailed a path of small, sweet kisses down her chest and belly. "Where are you going, El? What are you doing?"

"Something I have wanted to do for a very long time, Liv." He kissed her lower stomach, planting a peck on every defined abdominal muscle, then he moved lower, kissing her inner thighs, legs, ankles, then he made his way back up to the apex of her body, where he planted a single kiss that sent shockwaves through Olivia's entire system.

"Woah! Hey, now! What are you going to…Elliot?" His tongue ran, only once down the very middle of her core and she shivered. "Jesus, El, do you have any idea how unhygienic that…ohh…oh, my God." He smirked as he began to move his tongue faster and deeper. "Holy shit, don't stop," she said, clutching the pillow under her head.

"Wasn't planning on it," he said, adding a finger, slowly pushing it into her hot center as he licked around her wet, juicy core, lapping up everything she had to offer. She bucked her hips when his tongue ran over her sensitive nub, and he made a very wicked noise. "Oh, liked that did you?" he asked, knowing full well she did. She trashed her head, nodding, and he thrust another finger into her, swiping his tongue over her clit again. "Fuck, Elliot," she cried. He felt her start to clench around his fingers, so he moved faster. He sucked, directly on her clit, and the woman started to vibrate. "Oh, Christ, El, stop!"

Confused, he looked up, not stopping his ministrations with his fingers, though, and he questioned, "You just told me…and you're about to…"

"I know, but I want you, El. In me. Now." She looked him dead in the eyes and he knew she wasn't_ asking_. He pulled his fingers out, slowly, and sucked them dry, loving the taste of her, and wormed his way over and above her. She ran her soft hands up his body as he moved. She could feel his muscles moving underneath his skin. She wrapped a leg around him and held him down when the tip of his solid, rigid, unyielding member met the place where his tongue had just been, and she kissed him, tasting herself on his lips, making her moan. He pushed into her slowly, and pulled back out at a luxuriously unhurried pace. He moved his powerful hips in a deep swing, reaching her womb with each thrust and drawing out all the way each and every time.

This was the single most intense experience of her life. Olivia's eyes rolled all the way back into her head and as she clamped down on Elliot, and dug her nails into his back and heard him cry out her name as he spilled his seed deep, so deep inside of her, she met his eyes. She kissed him again and her world went dark. She had been shot with a fatal weapon, mere hours ago, and had, indeed, left this world for a moment, but _this_ is what dying _really_ felt like…_this_ is what _Heaven_ felt like.

* * *

God, she envied his ability to sleep like a rock. When you slept, you could forget. But, awake, you had no choice but to remember, and right now she was remembering problem number _one_. Olivia, placing a small kiss on his forehead, slithered out from underneath the warm blanket that was Elliot and chose a silk robe from her collection. Tonight, she picked blue, to match his eyes. She stepped lightly into her office and clicked on the viewscreen, a large video monitor on the wall, and programmed in the security images from the night of Marsden's death.

The viewscreen blipped and divided, showing every camera angle from the event. His office, now hers, the elevator, the security entrance and the public corridor. Cameras were not allowed in the private sections of the penthouse, unless there were parties or other affairs where such security measures might need to be taken. Olivia's eyes widened as, five minutes before TOD, time of death, the guards in the elevator responded to another call of some sort and rode down to a different floor. The guards at the security entrance, responding to a call at the same time, left _their_ post as well. The personal guards in the office had left as soon as Agent Lewis came into view in the public corridor. Marsden had been left unguarded and unprotected, and an agent had been allowed to see him, alone and armed, without a third party. "This was not a termination, it was an assassination," Olivia said out loud to herself.

"What was?" Elliot's voice rang in from her office doorway.

She turned to see him standing, leaning up against the doorjamb, in his own blue silk robe. "Marsden's death. What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, stepping toward her and pulling her close. He jerked his head toward her viewscreen as he wrapped his arms around her. "Can we watch the Superbowl on that thing?"

"Perhaps. What _is_ that?"she asked, honest curiosity in her voice.

Elliot snickered and ran a hand through her hair. "A football game. I'll tell you all about it later. You don't sleep much, do you?"

"The truth? No. I don't. The last time I slept for more than an hour was…our first night together. Everything was so…new. You exhausted me," she said resting her head on his shoulder.

He laughed. "Well, I was pretty damn exhausted after today! And tonight! Why aren't you?"

"El, today was a task! I'm trained to do that three or four times a day," she said with a chuckle. "Well, _without_ the minor_ death_, but you know what I meant. As for the sex, well, that was…the _best_ it has _ever_ been, and you _did_ knock me the hell out, but only for an hour."

"We should really go back to sleep. You can worry about why this Marsden guy was assassinated, or whatever, later," Elliot said, pulling her out of her office.

"No, El, this is _huge_. I have a lot to do today! I have to find out who called those guards away, I have to get the recordings of those calls, I have to find out who let Lewis in there alone with a fatal weapon, I have to…"

"Get married." Elliot crossed his arms and smirked, raised an eyebrow, and tried very hard not to laugh at the expression on Olivia's face.

She went completely white, her eyes had bugged out of her head and hands were still in the middle of whatever gesture she'd been making when she was listing the things on her 'To-Do' list. Clearly, she'd forgotten this was on it. "Oh, my God, that's today!"

"Yes. In about nine hours. So, can you put your 'Bad-Ass Commander Benson' shit on hold and enjoy your last day as a single woman?"

"By sleeping with the man I'm gonna marry, you mean?" she asked with a smirk.

Elliot wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe," he said.

"Honey, I would love to. But, for the next seven hours, I've got work to do. I don't get to take the day off because I'm getting married. However, when one o'clock rolls around, at thirteen-hundred hours, I'll be Mrs. Elliot Stabler, and we'll have all night to, uh, sleep," she said with a wink.

"I can't wait." Elliot kissed her, and begrudgingly left her to her work. "Oh! I almost forgot. Some flowers came for you, fake ones of course. From someone who couldn't make it to the wedding." He ran out into the hall and came back carrying a vase with two dozen long-stemmed silk roses. "Hmm. That's odd," Elliot said. "No name on the card. It just says, 'No hard feelings.' Do you know who they're from?"

He looked up and saw the fiercest face he'd ever seen Olivia give anyone before, but her complexion had gone completely white. Damn her stupid amygdala! "Yeah, El. I know exactly who they're from."

**A/N: Woooooah. What did I just do there? Comment?**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: What's up with the espresso? Who sent the roses? And THE WEDDING!**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters. Storyline, narrative and dialogue is 100%, original, unadulterated TStabler©**

"Where the hell is Jeffries?" Munch asked, getting up to make himself a cup of coffee.

"Um, maybe they've still got her in a holding cell or something," Fin offered.

Elliot, tapping his pencil, and his foot, and the finger on his other hand, simply asked, "Do you really care, Munch?"

"No, but I do care why the hell _you're_ here. Go bother other people with your damn pre-wedding jitters." Munch reached for the coffee pot, but changed his mind and went for the espresso.

Fin leaped up and stopped him. "Woah! Man, you don't want this crap. It's, uh, bad for the system and shit."

"But, Benson lives off of this stuff, you drink it like it's water, it's the only thing that will calm Cassidy down...oh, I get it, real strong?" Munch asked, nodding his head.

"Oh, so strong. Like, the Hulk Hogan of caffeinated beverages," Fin said patting him on the shoulder and pouring him some of the crap coffee he'd made.

This did not go unnoticed by Elliot. He had thought something was up when the espresso had calmed Cassidy down so easily, but now he was _sure _something was _wrong _with it.

"Why aren't you home being painted and prodded for the big day, man?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, uh, Benson. She's working till eleven and suggested I do the same thing. See, she's so busy she's not going to have time to be nervous. We haven't had a single call yet, so_ I've_ got time to worry about how, in less than five hours, I'm going to be someone's _husband_. Some-very-powerful-very-high-up-on-the-governmental-food-chain-one's _husband_," he said.

"What is she so busy doing?" Fin asked.

Elliot shrugged, still drumming his fingers. "Hell if I know."

* * *

Marching down the red corridor in HQ, Olivia, followed by the usual twelve guards and agents, spoke loudly into a headset. She was speaking to the CIC of Universal. The only person to whom she would have to answer if she ever did something wrong, but on all other levels, he was her equal.

"Yes, UCIC, Sir, what you are seeing on the security images is factual and accurate. The recordings that you are about to hear are also unedited and factual. Yes, UCIC, Sir, you are reading the voice recognition and identification tags correctly. Yes. Because, sir, as you've said before, I am _that_ damn good. He was. Yes, UCIC, Sir. He instructed the Stealth and Evasion classes at the academy and currently heads the Security and Guardian Recruitment taskforce here at HQ. I know, it will be very perplexing, Sir, but nothing I can not handle. Thank you, UCIC, Sir. See you at thirteen-hundred," Olivia said as her headset bleeped, signaling the end of the call. By the conclusion of her conversation, she'd reached the end of the corridor, where several men in uniform were sitting in rows with files.

"Gentleman," she said as she walked up to a high platform in front of a video screen, "You are about to be briefed on Target: R. White. Accusations include falsifying records, bribing a fellow task Leader, and conspiracy to commit murder. Proven actions thus far include purposeful termination of CIC Marsden via Agent Lewis for the direct intention of promoting me to CIC and concealing information pertinent to the welfare, growth, and prosperity of this agency."

* * *

Whether it was his nerves, excitement or just plain curiosity that made him do it, he wasn't sure, but Elliot had to know. "Fin, uh, what's in the espresso?"

"Lower your vocals, man! Sheesh," Fin snapped. He sat in the empty desk across from Elliot and lowered his voice. "It's seriously the world's strongest coffee, but if you're already scared or nervous or somethin', it acts as a calmin' agent. Agents live on it, keeps 'em goin'. It was Benson's idea to put it in here, cause she works here on the PT, ya know? She can't be without that shit."

Elliot rapped the pencil against his desk. "So, you wouldn't give it to Munch because..."

"Because, Munch isn't freakin' out about anything so he doesn't need any calmin' down, and he's not used to such strong stuff so he would have been jittery and bouncin' off the walls. The last thing we need is Munch becoming one of his own conspiracy theories," Fin said with a laugh. "Hey, shouldn't we be goin' to get you ready to marry Superwoman?"

Elliot looked at the clock and his heart stopped. It was almost eleven o'clock. "Oh! Yeah! But, uh, before we go, could I, maybe..."

"Jesus, _one_ cup, but don't say I didn't warn you." Fin watched as Elliot ran over and took a small espresso cup in his shaky hand and pressed the button on the gold machine. As the warm, brown elixir reached his lips, so did a calm, easy smile. Elliot Stabler felt like he could do anything in the world. Including, as it were, marry Superwoman.

* * *

By twelve-forty-five, Olivia Benson, in her three thousand dollar gown, was on her fourth cup of espresso and still shaking. "Damn you, Elliot Stabler! That man does the most horrendous things to my brain," she spat. Then she thought for a moment. "And my heart. And the rest of my anatomy."

"Woah, okay there Commander, I don't really think I need to know about my brother's sex life." Rachael, Elliot's sister, though not very close with Olivia, was her maid of honor, out of love and respect for Elliot, and since Olivia didn't have any female friends or relatives besides Agent Lewis, who was in a holding cell.

"Apologies, Rachael, I've just never been this _apprehensive_ before," Olivia said, trying to pace, but failing because the train on her dress was so heavy she couldn't spin around fast enough.

Rachael sighed. "Listen, I know my brother, and I know he's completely crazy about you. You've been living together for a month now, and I'm pretty sure your lives aren't really going to change too much because you sign a piece of paper and say some silly words in front of...how many people are coming?"

"Two-thousand-one-hundred-and-ninety-four," Olivia said. "Two-thousand-one-hundred-and-ninety-five if the Dalai Lama stops meditating long enough to remember he was invited."

"Okay, wow. But, you understand my point? He loves you already. He's not expecting you to morph into Suzie Homemaker and start cleaning house and popping out babies. He knows what you do, and he's willing to do it with you. Relax and go become my sister-in-law. And also, I saw this really awesome red dress in your closet that I would love to borrow," Rachael said with a giggle.

"Wow. I guess, yes, you're right. Thank you, Rachael. I feel so much better now," Olivia said with a sigh of relief. "Yes, by the way. I've already worn the red one, so you can have it. And how exactly does one 'pop out' a baby? I thought they were pushed out quite painfully through the..."

Rachael held up a hand to stop her. "Okay! I know where babies come from. Elliot wasn't kidding when he said you took everything literally."

Olivia shrugged as Elliot's mom, Bernie, came over to help her with her veil. "Well, not everything, just certain things. I didn't have a normal childhood, or a normal adulthood for that matter, so I'm pretty sheltered and clinical, but I'm learning. I'm trying, at least."

"For him?" Bernie asked. Olivia nodded and blushed a bit. "Well, you make him very happy, so I think you've done enough. Don't try so hard, honey. Let's go get you married, shall we?"

As the doors opened and they heard the slow beginning to the Wedding March begin to play, Olivia had forgotten all about nerves and fear and as she walked down the aisle, toward Elliot, followed by his sister, mother and several heavily armed men, the only emotion she felt was love.

Elliot, standing at the front of the chapel, next to Munch and Fin and his two brothers, one of whom was only still alive because of the majestic creature walking toward him, felt the sting of tears at his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. He'd always wanted to get married, sure, but he never thought it would be at twenty-eight, to someone like Olivia. And when the doors opened and he saw her, in the dress, in the veil, his heart fell out of his chest. He knew from the moment she walked into the bullpen with her task unit that he _wanted_ her. He found out that first night that he _needed_ her. And he knew now that his world would _crumble_ without her. She was his _life_ now.

Captain Cragen stepped forward, and took Olivia's arm. She was pissed off to hell at him, but this needed to be done by a male blood-relative, and he was all she had. She glanced at him and, to her great surprise, the man had tears in his eyes. They stepped up to the edge of the step and paused, waiting for the priest to speak. This would be awkward for Olivia, as agents did not believe in any organized religions, but Elliot was Catholic, and she had read the Bible and found the story to be fascinating, so, for him, she ordered the Catholic service.

"Who gives this woman away?" the priest asked, loudly.

Cragen placed Olivia's hand in Elliot's as he stepped off of the platform and said, "I do," with a slight crack in his voice.

Olivia squeezed Elliot's hand. A silent "This is it, baby!" Elliot, with his other hand, lifted her veil and gasped at her angelic appearance. The priest then began his traditional schpiel, but Elliot's mind had wandered. _She looks fucking amazing. That dress probably weighs a ton and she's walking in it like it's light as a damn feather. What are you saying? The woman ripped the door of a goddamned car yesterday, of course she can fucking carry a thousand pound wedding dress. Are those diamonds? On the damn dress? Okay, you put one diamond on her finger and you won't be done paying for it until you're forty-seven, there are about ninety of them on her left boob. I hate my life. No, actually, I love my life. Look at her, Elliot. That is your wife. The mother of your future children. Sure, she doesn't know what the Superbowl is, and she has never eaten bacon, and the first time she tasted chocolate syrup it was off of your heaving, naked chest, which was fucking incredible, but you love her. The way she says things like 'unacceptable' and 'terribly puzzling'. The way she laughs when you tickle her and her nose scrunches up like a bunny rabbit, the way she...oh I think you have to say 'I do" now. _"Wha? Oh. Yes. I do."

Elliot was given a beautiful platinum and diamond ring, engraved with their initials and the words "Es, eras, eris semper, amor meus in aeternum" on the inside, and slid it onto Olivia's finger. He heard a tiny click, and he knew that it had somehow locked into place with her engagement ring.

Olivia's mind, too, had retreated into her thoughts, oblivious to the Holy Man making the same long, drawn out speech to her. _You've done quite well, Benson. Look at that fine young gentleman, in that tux, clinging to every muscle of his body in just the right way. You didn't think you'd ever find him, did you? And now that you have, you just can't let him go. You don't want to. You don't even want to think about it. He's making you feel, and think, and believe. He has made you laugh, and cry, and love and he has made you human, Olivia. He's giving up his life to be with you, here, in what he must consider to be hell. He must really be in love with you, too. Sure, he doesn't know what the Permissions and Prohibitions taskforce does, and he had a small aneurism when he met the President for the first time, and he eats red meat and bread and other such things that shouldn't be ingested by humans, but you love him. The way he curses every five minutes, a habit that seems to have rubbed off on you, Commander Potty-mouth. The way he calls you 'baby' and 'honey' and 'Liv' like you're a normal girl. The way his eyes light up when he smiles. The way he...oh, Olivia, you need to agree to be the man's wife now. _"I do. Yes."

She was handed a platinum band, also engraved with the monogram and the Latin phrase, meaning "You are, you were, you'll always be, my love eternally", and she slid it onto Elliot's finger. As a single tear slid down both of their cheeks, they heard the priest give his final pronouncement.

"Because Elliot and Benson have desired each other in marriage, and have witnessed this before God and our gathering, affirming their acceptance of the responsibilities of such a union, and have pledged their love and faith to each other, sealing their vows in the giving and receiving of rings, I do proclaim that they are husband and wife in the sight of God and man. Let all people, here and everywhere, recognize and respect this holy union, now and forever. Amen. You, my son, may now kiss the bride."

They locked eyes, their smiles reflecting the pure joy they felt on the inside, and as Elliot leaned in, he cupped the sides of her beautiful face and whispered, "I love you, Mrs. Stabler."

"I love you, Mr. Stabler," Olivia whispered back as she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him close, and as they shared their first passionate kiss as husband and wife, the roof erupted in thunderous applause. Two-thousand-one-hundred-and-ninety-five people, the Dalai Lama had made it after all, stood and saluted as the couple walked, hand in hand, back down the aisle and out of the large wooden chapel doors, ready to party the night away. Their celebration would be short-lived. One of their party-guests, it was certain, would not be leaving the reception alive.

**A/N: I love Elliot's thoughts, don't you? Comments are like my air...help me breathe?**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: So who dies? What happens with Cragen? Who sent those roses?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters therein, this story, however, and it's narrative, dialogue and intricate plot, belong solely to TStabler©**

"Well, that was exciting," Elliot said, crouching behind a chair in the reception room.

"Did you really expect anything less?" Olivia asked sarcastically, her weapon drawn to her chest.

"Not really, no." Elliot looked at his wife and smirked. "But, what I'm wondering right now, is where the hell were you keeping your gun?"

Olivia smirked back at her husband and winked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The commotion calmed, the paparazzi were removed, and the security guard who had turned on his Commander during her first dance as a married woman had been terminated by the watchful guards who'd seen him draw his weapon before it was too late. At the first blast, Olivia and Elliot, and the thousands of guests, had hit the deck, taking cover under tables and chairs and the large canopy. Olivia had, then, shocked the hell out of Elliot by drawing her fatal weapon from under her dress. Another thing he loved about her: she was always full of surprises.

Now that everyone was safe, they had realized that the guard was not the only one lying lifeless on the ballroom floor. Olivia rose from her spot behind the chair, with Elliot hot on her heels, and ran over to the female figure, who had a gaping, smoking wound in her back. Olivia crouched down and ran a hand over the innocent's brown hair, falling into her frozen, open eyes. This woman, who wasn't even supposed to be here, had risked her life, and ultimately given it, to see her Commander and friend marry her true mate, whom she had also risked her life to ensure _stayed_ her mate. "Christ, Lewis," Olivia said, finally shedding a tear, though only a single one, for someone _other_ than Elliot. Maybe she knew how to have friends after all.

"Fraklin," she shouted at the nearest agent, "Report!"

"CIC, Ma'am. Agent Bennet, the terminated guard, it has been intimated, was not firing at _you_, CIC, Ma'am, but at Agent Lewis. Agent Lewis was not permitted to leave her holding cell without proper restraints and securities. Agent Bennet had reason to assume that Agent Lewis was attempting to terminate _you _as she had terminated Ex-CIC Marsden, CIC, Ma'am," the stoic guard informed her.

Staunch and firm, Olivia looked the guard dead in the eyes, and had she not been wearing the most luxurious wedding dress in the world, she might have looked pretty damn scary. "Did Agent Lewis have a weapon, Franklin?"

Franklin shook his head once. "None visible, CIC, Ma'am."

Olivia took a step forward and put her hand on her hip. "Was Agent Lewis behaving in a threatening or suspicious manner?"

"No, Commander Benson, Ma'am."

"Did you have any internal agency data giving any hint that Agent Lewis had used an evasive maneuver to elude her guards?" Olivia crossed her arms in front of her and glared with the barest hint of hate at the agent in front of her.

"No, Commander Benson," Franklin replied, bowing his head.

Olivia's voice boomed. "Then what the fuck is she doing here, lying in a heap with a large cauterized wound and a hole where her heart used to be, instead of dancing at my goddamn wedding where she was an _invited_ guest?"

Franklin, staring at his Commander in shock, simply shrugged. "I know you don't know, Franklin. It's quite obvious." Olivia turned to face her guests, who were all looking on sympathetically, with a mixture of pride, reverence and regret. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, just your average shindig here at Special Ops," she quipped, earning a few hundred nervous laughs. "Unfortunately, the, uh, party seems to be over. Thank you all, so much, for coming and this really has been, for many reasons, a truly unforgettable evening."

* * *

She was sitting at her desk, staring at the viewscreen, watching flashing security images of Lewis's termination over and over, when she heard him knock. "Hi, El."

"How'd you know it was me?"

"No one else is allowed on this floor, baby," she said, spinning her leather chair around, "and that is not the knock of an agent."

"Oh," he laughed. "And how do agents knock?"

Olivia's smile turned into a grumpy pout. "Like annoying gorillas."

"Wow, sweetie, you don't like them much, do you?" he laughed.

She shrugged. "It's never mattered. I'm so sorry about the reception. I hope I, uh, made it up to you," she said with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, you didn't plan the murder of two people, Liv. And you _more_ than made it up to me. Where the hell did you learn to _do_ that, because I'm pretty sure they didn't teach you _that_ in any Special Ops academy," he said as he stroked the side of her cheek.

"You'd be surprised what you can learn from a book when you read _carefully_, El. Here," she said, handing him the thick volume she'd been reading. "I've dog-eared the pages I'd like to experiment with when we get home from work tonight. One-seventy-nine looks pretty_ tricky_, but I'm flexible, you're strong, and the table's made out of titanium so we should be fine. I've got to go talk to someone about something," she said as she kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv." He kissed her back, and as she left the penthouse he turned to the page she'd mentioned. "What the hell would the table have anything to do with…holy fucking _shit_," he said, his eyes popping out of his head. He was gonna need a cold shower before he went to work.

* * *

When Captain Cragen got to his office, he was surprised and scared to see Olivia sitting in his chair, behind his desk, with seven armed guards surrounding her. "Hi, Uncle Don."

"Hello, Olivia. I, uh, got your letter, and I can explain," he babbled, waving his hands wildly.

She smirked, leaned back in his chair, and put her high-heeled feet up on his desk. "I hope you can, and quickly, because I have to hunt down the man who hired rogue guards to aid in the termination of my former CIC , so I don't have time to waste on you."

"Someone _hired_ guards, specifically to _not_ guard the Commander?" Cragen asked.

"Yes, a man I used to admire. He taught me great things. Stealth, elusiveness, how to stalk the target and go unnoticed, tagging and collecting conversations without the target even knowing you were there. A man named R. White."

Cragen gasped. "R…for Richard?"

Olivia nodded. "We don't use first names with our targets. It _humanizes_ them. Attaches emotion and makes them harder to terminate. How would you know?" she asked, curiosity laced in her voice.

"We had a case, a while ago. Stabler and Jeffries were after a Richard White for stalking and killing a lawyer, but they couldn't nail him for the hit," he explained.

She hummed, then shook her head. "I'm not here to talk about my task or my target, Uncle Don. I'm here to talk about _yours."_ She put her feet down and leaned closer to him. "Why?" she asked. "You were his _watcher!_ You know damn well he didn't fail that IQ test, and you know damn well that he was _ordered!_ Like me! He's a fucking _genetic_ agent!" She rose to her feet and yelled, suddenly angry. "I didn't _have_ to go through all of this _alone!_"

"Yes, you did," he said. "Olivia, listen to me. I know you think I kept him from you out of spite, because of what happened to your mother and the way they had to force her to…"

"She was raped, Uncle Don, by a team of fucking geneticists and a steel rod. She didn't want me, you didn't want me, I get it, and thank god they took me away from all of you when they did, but I'm asking why you didn't approve _him_ for the program when he did everything that he was supposed to…"

Don yelled now. "Marsden Senior, your biological father. He didn't want Stabler anywhere_ near_ you. He didn't think his aquired genetic code was up to snuff for you or some shit, I don't know, the point is, I knew it was _wrong_, and I knew you'd find out, and I knew that you'd _hate_ me. He paid me, okay?"

Olivia stopped breathing. "CIC Marsden was my…brother? His father is my…I need to sit down." She plopped back into the leather chair and heaved a sigh. "Uncle Don, how long, exactly, have you known that Charles Benson was not my real father?"

"Since the day you were ordered, Olivia. That's why they had to force your mom into the chair, and into the machine. They weren't using her husband as the donor and she didn't want to have another man's child. They had a terrible desire for Serena's DNA, but Charles's was pretty worthless. To create you, they used the best they could get, the Universal CIC." Cragen explained.

"Okay," Olivia said, taking a deep breath. She had just about had it with emotional outbursts and didn't feel like having another one. She knew she was a genetic agent. A product. She hadn't even seen Charles or Serena in almost thirteen years, so, it really didn't matter. All that mattered was that Cragen had told her the truth. That he had been paid off. That there was an amount of money that could buy his loyalty away from his task and his agency, and that was called _treason_. And that was a crime. And crime _always_ came with a punishment.

"Before I take you in, Uncle…Captain Cragen, tell me, what did UCIC give you in return for falsifying Elliot's records? He must have given you something pretty valuable in return for betraying the responsibilities you have to the Recruitment and Repopulation taskforce," she said, with a hint of sadness and shock in her voice.

Cragen nodded. "Yeah, Olivia, he let Elliot live."

**A/N: Oh, snap! How can Liv punish him for that? What now? And what is up with Richard White? Why was he so desperate to get Liv running the Ops? Find out in the next chapter! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: The first steps in stopping White, Elliot's trademark temper flares, and Olivia yells at one of the NYPD's finest. But who? Oh, and white's latest victim...**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline, plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©.**

"This was personal. Very personal. I mean, no one gets cut up like this if..."

"I know," Elliot said. He pointed a gloved finger at himself and added, "Also a detective, thanks, Fin."

They'd been hanging over the vic for twenty minutes. Her face and body were covered with slashes and there was a large bruise over her left eye. She'd been stabbed once in the stomach and then shot, at close range, right between the eyes. This was, of course, after she'd been raped. The medical examiner lifted the body onto a rolling stretcher when Elliot saw the white card, which had been lying underneath.

"Woah," he said, stopping to pick it up. "What's this?" He flipped it over in his hand, like a magician would flip a playing card during a magic trick, and as he read the words, he went livid. Stark white.

Fin took two steps forward. "What, man? What's it say?"

Elliot gulped. It was written in the same slick, slanted writing that had been on the card that came with his wife's silk roses. "It uh...it says 'no hard feelings'."

* * *

"All right, tell me what you've done, and if it does not make me a happy Commander someone will lose a few appendages." Olivia marched into the yellow corridor of HQ, the Advancements and Research in Science, Technology, Medicine and Warfare wing with a young Chinese technician. He pressed a palm to a panel and the doors slid open. She was now standing in a large glass lab with the superior Tech Agent.

"Well, CIC, Ma'am, what I've done, at your request to find a way to stop all contact with the target, is I have taken the voice samples of the target and ran them through the computer. I've set up the call response system to react to Target: R. White's voice in such a way that no one who picks up a phone call, radio call, handset beckon or headset request from him will be able to hear his _actual_ voice or _anything_ he says. Instead, they will hear a very pleasant rendition of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' which will signal one of us here at the ARSTMW taskforce to start tracing the source of the incoming call," the technical scientist said. "The computer, though, will transcribe wht he is actually saying."

Olivia smirked, hummed and nodded her head. "Well, look at you, being all efficient and incredibly ingenious. Formidable work and quite a practical solution you've come up with. It's pleasing to know that not _everyone _Marsden left me with is an incompetent boob. Commendable work," she said, shaking the agents hand. "When will this system be up and running?"

"The task is already in Phase Four, CIC, Ma'am," the man said, beaming with pride.

"Agent Morales, you just might be irreplaceable. Don't quit your cover-job, though," Olivia said with a wink.

"Oh, CIC, Ma'am, I wouldn't dream of it. The NYPD Technical Assistance and Response Unit, though not nearly as intellectually and physically challenging as anything at Special Ops, does keep me warmed up. Their technology is lacking though, and the information they have access to is all things that we have known for..."

Olivia laughed. "I know, Morales. Just, um, go play with your toys."

* * *

"No, Cap, I will not calm down!" Elliot yelled. "You're telling me that the man who practically turned a woman into slices of bacon is the _same_ guy who ran a _conspiracy_ to make my _wife _the head of the most powerful government agency in the _world._ You're telling me that he was _here_, in _my_ clutches, and I let him _slip _through my _fingers_ on a fucking _technicality_ and worst of all you're telling me that she _knows_ him, _personally_, and when you told her what he'd just done, she sat there without a _shred_ of fear or panic in her eyes and shrugged it off!"

"Elliot, Benson deals with this shit all the time. She deals with shit worse than this, man," Fin said, trying to calm him down.

It didn't work. Elliot punched the filing cabinet in Cragen's office, leaving a perfect fist-shaped dent, and a very good impression of his wedding band, in its wake. "You're not helping, Fin! He sent her the same message. With fucking fake roses! He knows she's allergic to flowers! So, is he coming _after_ her? Is _he _going _after_ my _wife_?"

Cragen sighed. "Elliot, there are three things you need to know about Richard White. He taught the Stealth and Evasive Maneuvers classes at the academy Olivia attended, she was his star pupil. He gave seminars on stalking and terminating tasks without so much as leaving a footprint or taking a loud breath, she, again, was at the top of the class. Finally, he made a very big mistake and had Marsden killed, making Olivia the most powerful, most protected woman in the," he thought for a moment, trying to think of a woman who was more powerful and protected. "Well, yeah, the world."

"How was that supposed to....Captain, you just told me that not only is he after her, but he could track her and kill her without even being noticed by her or the ninety-five guards she's got surrounding her!" Elliot kicked the side of the Captain's desk, denting it.

Cragens smirked. "You don't listen, do you? Elliot, I just told you that Olivia knows _all _of his tricks, secrets and methods. She not only knows them, but she's _better_ at them, and she's got a fuckload of people who aren't going to let that man anywhere _near_ her. Including you and Fin._ She's_ going after _him_. And she's going to get him."

"Not if I find him first," Elliot said, punching the finling-cabinet again and leaving the office.

"Fin," Cragen began.

Fin nodded and rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. This guy's temper's _lethal_." He turned around and headed toward the bullpen. "Yo! Stabler! Drink the damn espresso, man!"

* * *

Olivia, in her task vest, gave a complicated hand gesture to the agents in her unit and they moved silently into position. The man was slumped over the writhing woman on the floor, then he swiped something across her chest and she stilled. He was pulling something out of his pocket. Olivia, smirk on her face and weapon at the ready, was about to make her leap from her position on the roof, when she heard, "NYPD! Freeze," from the ground below. Two cops, guns aimed, were in the shadows of the building across the street.

"Fuck," she muttered as she watched their target run, quite quickly, down the street. "Hampton! Persue!"

"Yes, Ma'am," the agent replied as he bolted, following the same path their target had taken.

Olivia leaped from the roof, landing on her feet, and without hesitation, she pulled rank. "Commander Benson, Special Ops. See, this is why they leave the important tasks to _Special Ops_. You can not _yell_ at an un-sub who has just terminated an innocent! You certainly can not introduce yourself as an officer! That, you fool, is like Hilter just marching up to an Israelite and Hailing! Of _course_ he is going to _run away_! What is it, exactly, that they teach you at the Police Academy? Do they have actual _courses_ in _counter_-effectiveness? It took me an _hour_ to locate him, thirty minutes to get an exact affirmation on the abduction of an innocent and it took_ you_ three _seconds_ to _lose_ him. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to speak with your Commanding Officer."

In shock, with fear, a little bit of pride and a little bit of lust on his face, Elliot stepped out of the shadows, followed by Fin who just looked embarrassed. "I...uh...um...wow, our first fight as a married couple and I got nothing," he shrugged.

"You?" Her eyes widened and she clasped her hand over her mouth. She ran the hand over her head, down and through her hair, jostling lightly. Elliot could smell her shampoo from where he stood, her scent wafted to him like warm apple pie from a windy windowsill, she heightened all of his senses. "Fucking son of motherless cow," she mumbled.

"Commander Benson," Agent Welken yelled from his position over the freshly killed woman.

"What," she spat, more harshly than she'd intended.

Welken marched solemnly over to her and took of his task-helmet, placing it over his heart. He handed her a white card. "Condolences, CIC, Ma'am."

"Welken, why are you...no one in my immediate family has been terminated, Welken. Put your helmet on." She turned the card over in her hands and smirked. "I'm growing very tired of this 'No hard feelings' shit, I mean, he used to say it all the time, but how can _feelings_ be _hard_, they have _no_ texture, they aren't even _tangible_..." She stopped when she realized that, as the agents all passed the innocent, they, too, took off their helmets and placed them over their hearts.

"Okay, what the hell?" Olivia ran over to the body, Elliot and Fin, sensing something was wrong, ran after her. She looked down and her eyes widened. Her hand shot to her mouth and she turned, collapsing into Elliot's arms. Elliot furrowed his brow and looked up at Fin, who, since he didn't have a hat, placed his bare hand over his heart and shook his head. Fin leaned into Elliot and whispered, very softly, "It's her mother."

Elliot's grip on Olivia tightened and he kissed her head softly, rubbing her back as he let her breathe heavily into his chest. Olivia held on to him for dear life, too. She wasn't crying, she couldn't bring herself to cry. She hated this woman, she hadn't seen her in over a decade, but it was still shocking to see her mother, her life-giver, lying dead, broken and beaten on the ground knowing that her husband, the man she loved more than anything in the universe, had just chased away the man responsible. She sighed and squeezed tighter. She couldn't be angry with him, he was just doing his job. Now, she had to do hers, and, because her task and his case seemed to intertwine, Elliot was coming along for the ride.

**A/N: Oh, some real plotlines and characters, so....whatcha think?  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: How will Elliot react to Liv's coldness? What will he think of being in the middle of a task, instead of being one himself? Will he _ever_ find out he, too, was supposed to be a "robot"?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story, and all its contents, belong to TStabler©**

Fin and Elliot were forced to follow the agents, and Olivia, back to HQ. The body of Serena Benson had been transferred to the morgue. White, being a former Ops employee, knew what to do to make her _unfixable._ Not that Olivia would have wanted to fix her, but Warner and the rest of the agents would have done it anyway. Serena was the maternal source for their Commander, the best agent Ops had ever seen. Olivia was their boss, their comrade, and some agents, against her advisement, considered her a friend.

Olivia led the barrage of people following her through a long hallway in the orange corridor of HQ. Meetings, briefings, profiling, some interrogations and a lot of yelling and screaming happened in these rooms and halls.

They turned left, Olivia slapped her hand down on the panel and the doors slid open. Once inside, everyone took a seat, automatically, including Fin. Only Elliot and Olivia remained standing. She stood because she was the Commander and was going to head the meeting, and he stood because he was confused as shit.

"Sit," Olivia said, nodding curtly to her husband. He blinked once and then pulled out the empty chair in front of him, next to Fin, and plopped into it. He'd never sat it on one of these strategy sessions before, only heard how much of a headache they were to his wife.

"Before any of you even mention the personal element of this task, I'm telling you right now it is of little to no substance. We proceed as if the innocent," she scoffed upon saying the word innocent, "had no relation to me or anyone _any_ of you has ever even _met_. We go after the target as planned. With, of course, the two new additions to this taskforce. You all remember Tutuola and , of course, you know Stabler."

Hampton rose from his chair. "Commander, deep regrets for being ill-equipped to follow the target. R. White is..."

"An elusive son of a bitch," Olivia finished for him. "I know. We would have had him tonight," she said, glaring at Fin and Elliot, "But, as they say, the thrill of the chase makes the catch that much sweeter." She winked at the two boys and they relaxed. "Dr. Huang has prepared this cohesive and conclusive psychiatric profile of the target." She passed around black folders.

Elliot flipped through it, and had a basic understanding that the man was stalking someone he idolized, almost _treasured_. The people he'd killed, in his mind, were people who were threatening and standing in his obsession's way. In his warped mind, this was his way of _helping_ the object of his fanaticism. The last page, once flipped, made Elliot's stomach flip in return. It was just as he'd thought and just as he'd feared. "He's obsessed with _you_," he said, horror-stricken, as he looked up at Olivia.

She turned to him, with an expressionless, almost cold face and said, "Yes." She then turned back to face her unit. "Any questions?"

* * *

Captain Cragen, in his office, pacing, was wondering where two if his best detectives were while they had three new cases. Munch and Cassidy were running around like chickens with no heads, Casey Novak, another new A.D.A was waiting in the bullpen, and he was _still_ worried about whatever consequences he would have to face from Olivia.

He opened his door, stepped into the squadroom, and shook the strawberry blonde woman's hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting. We're very short-handed today."

"I can see that. I've got the D.A breathing down my neck. She wants this guy caught _yesterday_, so I _need _you to give me _something_ I can use to get your detectives a warrant," Novak declared, trying to sound threatening. "They'll need it to search his..."

"That will not be necessary," came a firm voice from behind her. "His apartment didn't have anything useful, aside from the standard night-vision camera, aerostatic boots, print prevention kits and three copies of yesterday's paper. He was on the front-page, above the fold." Olivia folded her arms and waited for an introduction.

Casey folded her arms, too, but she wasn't about to shake hands and play nice. "Who the hell are you? I hope you had a warrant, if you didn't your search was against the law and anything you found is inadmis..."

"I _am_ the law Ms. Novak." Olivia held out her hand. "Commander Benson. Special Ops."

Novak grinned smugly. "Oh. Are _you_ the reason we haven't nailed this bastard yet? And how, exactly, are night a vision camera and aerostatic...whatever _standard_?"

Olivia smirked, her eyebrow twitching just the slightest bit. "Actually, no. Cragen's detectives are the reason _I_ haven't caught him yet. I was damn close till Loudmouth and Trigger-Happy over here came along," she said, teasing Fin and Elliot. "And, to answer your second question, that equipment is standard for an ex-employee of Special Ops."

Cragen folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "So, Commander Benson, what do you suggest we do, here? Your task, my case, one bad-guy. We're not giving it up and I know you won't either, and I don't want the two of you," he said pointing to Olivia and Elliot, "pitted against each other for, well, obvious reasons."

"Simple. Stabler and I will track and apprehend the target. Together," Olivia said. "With the occasional help of Fin and a few of my men."

Casey's eyebrows raised. "Wait, Captain Cragen, you are letting the United States government walk in here and step on your toes, going after a case that should be solely SVU's, without even putting up a fight?"

"United _Forces_, actually. Great Britain, France and Italy, too," Olivia said reaching for a cup and the espresso machine. "Miss Novak, I do not _step_ on toes, the feet simply move aside when I walk into the room. I also, contrary to what you just assumed, do not _overthrow_ police commanders _or_ their attorneys, so why, if I may ask, are you being so hostile? After all, we are both wanting the same thing, are we not?" she asked, handing Casey the small cup. "You seem troubled, and speaking as one who is also going through a moderate personal crisis at the moment, you can't let it affect you at work. You may _offend_ the _wrong_ person," she added, both amicably and threateningly.

Taking the cup, Novak spat back, "What personal crisis could you possibly be going through? You look pretty damn calm and collected to me." She took a sip of the coffee-drink and her nerves were soothed. She visible relaxed.

"Better?" Olivia asked. Casey nodded. "Good. Now, can we work, _together_, to find the target? His latest victim, Serena Benson, was my, uh, mother. I use the term loosely." Novak's eyes raised and she was about to apologize.

"Excuse me?" A man's voice interrupted them as a very frantic figure in a suit walked into the bullpen and up to an Ops agent. "I'm looking for Captain Cragen." The agent pointed, and the frazzled man, hurried and anxious, ran over to him. "Don! The police, or whoever they were that came to get me, they said you found my wife? You found Serena?"

"Oh, Christ, this is just what I need," Olivia muttered. She turned to her unit behind her. "Welken, find Abrams. Ask him why he did not take the innocent's companion directly to HQ. Then, send him straight to ICE. I'll deal with him later."

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am." Welken sped off. Cragen shook the man's hand and furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, Charlie. She's been..."

"Christ, Don, don't say it. Just, tell me how. Was it fast?" Charlie looked up at Don with hope and fear in his eyes. Cragen just shook his head. "I can't give you the details, Chuck, and if I could, you wouldn't want to hear them." Charlie spun his head, looking around, trying to focus, and he spotted Olivia.

"Oh, my God." Charlie walked over and stood directly in front of her. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, unblinking, until Charlie wrapped his arms around her. Several agents advanced, with hands on their weapons, but Olivia held her hand up, stilling them. "God, Olivia. How long has it been?"

"Approximately thirteen years," she replied, her arms still at her sides. " Please, don't call me Olivia, it's just 'Benson' now. My condolences, Charles."

Charlie pulled himself off of her and wiped his eyes. "Condolences? That is so...formal, Oliv...uh, Benson? She was your mother."

"I'm _trained_ to _be _formal, Charles. And, correct, by the _technical_ definition of 'mother', she was mine. But, for the fourteen years you _both_ were _supposed_ to raise me, she was _hardly _maternal." She felt the anger and the hurt and the unfounded sadness creep up, but she couldn't stop it. "The poodle had nicer clothes than I did. You even hugged the damn dog more than you hugged me, which, I know, was in the manual. You had to train me to be emotionless and unyielding to affection, but nowhere in the manual, which I've read countless times trying to justify her behavior, did it say she was supposed to beat the living shit out of me every chance she got!" Olivia's mouth shot up to her mouth. She just yelled, very loudly, and in a highly emotional way, to a man who just lost his wife. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her suit. "I'm sorry, Charles, I shouldn't have...you uh..."

"I know," Charles said. "I'm so sorry I didn't stop her."

"No, you're not. You hated me as much as she did. But, you had a right to. I'm not _your _child, Charles."

"But that didn't give me the right to stand by and watch her hurt you," Charles said, with true regret in his eyes.

"Apology accepted. Fin," Olivia said turning to him, "You can interview Mr. Benson here at the station. No sense in dragging him all the way down to HQ. You know what to ask him." Fin took Charlie by the elbow and walked him into the interrogation room. Olivia turned to Casey. "Ms. Novak, I assure you all of our searches and seizures related to this case will be completely admissible in court, if the target even makes it to trial."

"I trust you, Benson," Novak said with a smile, drinking a second cup of espresso.

Olivia gave her a small-half smile. She looked at Elliot, a deeper sadness in her eyes and said, "I'm going home." Without a word to anyone else, she turned on her heels and left followed by the troupe she brought in with her.

* * *

Elliot walked through the elevator doors ten minutes after she did. He followed her home. He looked in every room of their penthouse and found her working tirelessly at the wall of computers in her office. She had photos of all of the evidence scanned into one, and they were flashing at her in a slideshow. There were several searches running, and a facial recognition scan running on another. She pulled out all the stops.

"Liv," Elliot called into the room. "Honey, you must be going through a lot right now, why don't you take a break, huh? You just lost your mother."

She laughed a little, and without looking at him she said, "Look at this way, El. You'll never be one of those guys who has mother-in-law issues."

"Hey, Liv, don't just shrug this off like you've done everything else, okay? And I _do_ have mother-in-law issues. You hated her because she _hurt _you, therefore I get to hate her, too. I hate _anyone_ who hurts you," he said taking a step into the office. "I just don't want you to get sick over this. You need to cry, or yell, or, hey, we can go have some mind-blowing, emotionally charged sex, but you need to vent, somehow, before it makes you sick."

She looked at him and she shrugged in disbelief. "I yelled at you today, El." She stood up and took a step toward him. "I yelled at you, a lot. Granted, I didn't know it was you, but I probably _still _would have yelled at you if I had." She cupped his face and held his gaze. "Also, I forced you into a bunch of meetings, where you looked completely lost and confused, by the way, because I _need_ you on this task with me, and you're not mad at me?"

Elliot laughed. "Nope. In fact, I love you a little bit more, because I have a better understanding of what you have to go through. Those meetings were awful. And, Liv, God, you couldn't cry over your mother's dead body, because you don't know what you'd be crying for. You said it yourself, a hundred times, she didn't want you and she reminded you everyday. I wouldn't be able to cry over her either." He kissed her sweet lips and narrowed his eyes. "I can't imagine what my life would have been like if someone ripped me away from my family at fourteen, made me learn all kinds of secret agent shit and forced me to forget I ever had emotions, and then suddenly, because I meet someone I have this weird chemistry with, start feeling _everything_ at once." He kissed her forehead and ran a hand down her back. His words hit home, hard. He almost _had_ the life he couldn't _imagine_ having. She peered up into his blue eyes and he saw the beginnings of tears starting to form. "It's all so overwhelming and I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you through it then, but I'm sure as hell going to be here to help you through it now. I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too, El." She kissed him, warmly and tenderly. "Go to bed, I have a phone call to make. When I'm done we can have some of that mind-blowing, emotionally charged sex you were talking about."

Elliot's eyes widened. "I don't know what Munch has been talking about. Married life is fucking awesome," he said pecking her on the lips before running into their bedroom.

Olivia picked up the phone and dialed. He wouldn't answer now, they were probably still interrogating and comforting Charles, but she'd leave him a message. "Uncle Don, listen. I may have handled your technical error a bit harshly. You were following orders from the man in charge at the time, so I feel that this matter should be brought up with him. Besides, what harm was really done? He had a safe, loving childhood and he's with me, now. He wouldn't be who he is, the man I love, if...well, if he was like me. By oh-nine-hundred, all records of your task violation will be sealed and destroyed. Goodbye." She hung up the phone and padded into the bedroom, desperate to vent and_ forget_, and thankful Elliot was around to help her do it.

* * *

"Well," Charlie said as he left the interrogation room. "Don, thank you. I know you're going to work like hell to catch this guy, and when you do I know uh, Benson is gonna make him pay for what he did."

"You can bet on that, Charlie." Cragen said.

"Will you tell her something for me? Next time you see her?" Charlie asked.

Cragen nodded. "Sure, Chuck."

He walked toward the doors and turned his back, fiddling with his hat. "Tell her I said 'no hard feelings', okay?"

"Yeah." Cragen walked into his office as Charlie left. Then he stopped moving. His head popped up and his eyes widened. "Oh, my God." He ran out of his office and out into the hall, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

**A/N: Gotta love a cliffhanger. Reviews? **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: So what does Charlie know about White? Olivia's ignoring and misguiding her feelings, using something **_**else**_** as an escape. A little Smutlet...**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters and SVU components belong to Dick Wolf. This story, narrative, plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"Yes. No, that's adequate. Thank you." Olivia hung up the phone and addressed the men in the meeting room. "I have just received information, relevant to this task, that suggests C. Benson _gave_ his wife to the target. Erdemir and Welken are bringing him in for questioning and will follow orders as I give them. Personal acquaintanceship with the man aside, if he is proven to be in any way connected to this task, he will face the appropriate punishment."

"No one doubts that, Commander," the man on the viewscreen said. The universal CIC, Marsden Senior. Olivia's biological father. Of course, he was unaware that she knew.

"Just clarifying and reiterating, UCIC, Sir," Olivia said. "We have data, still incoming, that suggests the target will attempt to strike again, this time hunting down someone who has already been terminated, unbeknownst to the target. We have a TAP and an agent willing to stand in as the allurement. Bait."

The men in the room, Elliot included, looked up at her with pondering eyes. "And which of your agents is willing to stand in a dark alley and wait idly while a silent killer attempts to terminate them, Commander Benson?" the UCIC asked.

She simpered and looked up at the viewscreen. "Me."

* * *

"Do not tell me how to do my job, Elliot!" She yelled at him the minute they'd stepped through the elevator doors. She tossed her jacket on the rack and stormed into the bedroom.

"I'm not, Liv, I just don't want you to be the bait for this psycho!" he cried, loudly, throwing his arm up and ripping off his tie with his other hand, following her into their master suite.

She was in the process of ripping off her shirt when he walked through the doors. She turned and threw the white button-down at him. "In case you haven't noticed, there are not a great many female agents around here under the age of thirty that can pass for this man's intended innocent."

He tossed her shirt to the floor and unbuttoned his own. "That doesn't mean it has to be you! We can use a cop, Liv. We have plenty of undercovers who would kill for the opportunity to work this case."

Kicking out of her pants, she huffed. "Oh, no! I will not be responsible for the termination of an innocent because..."

"But, you'll willingly let him attack _you_? I am not going to let you do that!" he seethed.

"_Let_ me?"she asked with narrowed eyes. "Elliot, you _never_ have to _let _me do anything," she spat, unhooking her bra and tossing it into the hamper.

"Fuck, Liv, that's not what I meant and you know it! You can't..." He stopped talking when she faced him, naked, and held her hands on her hips, waiting for him to finish his statement.

She, too, was surprised to see him, standing before her, also naked. It wasn't exactly clear who moved first, but they met in the middle with a crash of lips and limbs. The kisses were hungry, almost violent. She pushed him down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling him, and leaned down to attack his lips again. She bit his lower lip, tugging on it, letting it pull roughly out of the grip between her teeth. She assaulted his neck, kissing, sucking, biting savagely.

"Oh, fuck, Liv," he groaned harshly. He was so hard he could hammer nails, and he knew that whatever mood she was in was going to make this very interesting. He used his mighty lower limbs to give him leverage and he flipped them over, pinning her to the bed underneath him. He slid his hand lightly down and over her body and when it reached her apex, he gasped. She was dripping. "Jesus, baby," he said with a smirk. He was about to plunge a finger into her depths but she grabbed his hand and pulled it away, roughly, making him lose his support and collapse onto her.

She slanted her lips over his again, sucking and nibbling on his lips and tongue. She gave him a shove with her leg, which was wrapped tightly around his, and looked into his eyes. "No, foreplay, El. Just fuck me."

Eyes widened, more at her use of the term "fuck", which she _never_ used to describe their lovemaking, than her aggressive manner, he complied. He slid into her gently and she rolled her eyes. "Christ, El." She used her muscles to flip them back over, never losing contact, and she started riding him, hard, fast, and deep. "Shit," he cried, looking up at his wife, amazed. He reached up and pulled her down, first kissing her roughly and then dragging his tongue down her neck to her chest. He cupped her breast and took one nipple in his mouth while he pinched the other lightly with his other hand.

"Oh, God, Elliot." Olivia was starting to whimper, but Elliot was no where near ready. He was enjoying this new, hard, rough side of his wife, and he was going to make it last. He flipped them over again, letting her nipple fly out of his mouth with a pop.

He pushed into her harder, deeper, and pinched her nipples a bit harder than before, sending small lightning bolts of pleasurable pain throughout her body. "Fucking hell, baby," she moaned, scratching down his chest with her nails. He let out a ferocious noise and moved even harder. "Is this what you want, Liv?" he asked, pounding her, hearing the delicious squelching noises their joined bodies were making.

"Yes, baby, yes," she said as her head thrashed. She was immobilized as he assaulted her body with his, and he hit, measure for measure, in a frantic, hard, rhythm, and she could feel his balls hitting against her skin. He was going as deep as he could go and pulling out all the way, ramming his rod into her. She clenched, like a vice, around him and squeezed her eyes shut, seeing stars behind her lids, and she screamed his name. He joined her, crying his release."Oh, God, Liv, baby. Shit," Elliot panted, trying to move, but finding he couldn't. She clamped around him so tightly, he couldn't pull out of her. She came harder than she ever had before, and he was still not released from her intense choke-hold.

She shot up and wrapped her arms around him, dragging her nails down his back, moaning low, soft noises. She was _still_ cumming. He felt her walls roll in a wavelike motion around his shaft and it sent him over the edge again, he didn't think it was possible. He tightened his grip on her, holding on and kissing every part of her body he could reach. And then, darkness. They fell, completely exhausted, back down onto the bed and he rolled them back over, so he wouldn't crush her. Still inside of her, he pulled the blankets over them and held onto her still shaking body.

"Liv, baby, goddamn," he said, caressing her.

Olivia snuggled closer, pushing him deeper into her and nuzzled into his neck. "Fuck, El. God, I needed that," she said, closing her eyes and exhaling.

Elliot let out a small chuckle. "I think I did, too, actually." He pulled her even closer, they were trying so hard, but they just couldn't get close enough. "What were we fighting about?" he asked, kissing her.

Olivia shook her head. "No idea."

"I love you, baby," he purred into her ear.

Closing her eyes and trying to slow her breathing, having forgotten all about the image of her death mother that was etched into her memory and the frightful thought that the man she'd thought of as her father had arranged for her murder, she said the only thing that was clear and sensible in her mind. "I love you, Elliot." She knew she'd be sore in the morning, but she also knew, tonight, she could sleep through the night to get there.

**A/N: Coming up: Elliot finds out what Ops does during interrogation and conviction, Huang evaluates the SVU crew, and a conversation Elliot has with his mother may affect his relationship with Olivia.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: So what does Bernie say to Elliot? How does Elliot find out how Special Ops handles their interrogations and convictions? Will they finally track down White?**

**DISCALIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. This lil' saga and its dialogue, narrative and plot are exclusively TStabler's©**

"Yo, Stabler!" Fin yelled into the bullpen. "Your mom's here," he said, with a raised eyebrow. "Said it's important."

Elliot got up from his chair, leaving Olivia and the rest of her unit to scan through all of the running technology themselves. They were zeroing in on White, and in less than three hours, Olivia would be used to lure him into an alley and, hopefully, get him before _he_ gets _her_. Elliot stepped into the hallway and his eyes widened.

"Mom," he said in a horse whisper, "What are you doing here? We're really busy and I don't have time to talk..."

"Elliot, please," Bernie said dismissing his protest. "You always have time for your momma. Sit down, I have to say a few things." She patted the spot on the bench next to her and Elliot took a seat. "Now, I have kept my mouth shut, I've let you made your little mistake, but playtime's over."

"What are you talking about, Ma?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Bernie laughed. "Oh, honey. This marriage? This relationship you're in? You haven't know her long enough to really want to be with her _forever_, and when you said you were getting married, well I assumed she was pregnant and you were doing the right thing. But, I have no grandbaby, so clearly..."

"Mom, you have no idea how I feel," he said almost angrily. "And you won't have grandkids from us for a long time. How dare you try to tell me..."

"Has she told you yet? I don't think she has because you're still defending this little charade of a nuptial agreement. I know I really should have told you, but I thought that by being with her, you'd find out, then you'd come home." Bernie took an envelope out of her purse, handed it to Elliot, and smiled sadly. "Honey, you need to re-think what you've done, and find a way to get yourself out of it. You don't truly love her, Elliot. In that short time, it's just not possi..."

Elliot rose from his seat, looked at his mother and yelled, "I love her more than anything, Mom. More than_ life_, and I _thought_ you understood that! I _thought_ you were _happy_ for me! Look, you know that no matter what you just said or what's in this letter you handed me, that's not gonna change, right?"

Bernie sighed. "We'll see. I just want what's best for you, Elliot."

"She _is_ what's best for me," Elliot said with narrowed eyes through gritted teeth.

"You think you know better than your mother? Fine," Bernie said rising. She hugged Elliot. "You'll change your mind, you'll realize this was all a huge mistake and when you do, Steven can get your apartment back or find you a better one and we'll find you a nice, normal girl who..."

"Goodbye, Mom." Elliot turned and walked back into the bullpen, as Bernie walked away, but instead of going back to help Olivia and the unit, he walked into an interrogation room. He closed the door behind him and read the letter that changed everything.

Ten minutes later, after Elliot had wiped away his tears and calmed himself down, he walked into the bullpen just in time to hear Olivia yell, "We got him. TAP. Alley behind Radio City Music Hall at oh-nine-hundred." She straightened out her jacket and gave orders. "Welken, find out what devices he has on his person, deactivate them from our lab if you can. Hampton, I want that alley cleared of all innocents and find a way to _keep_ them out. Until then, I have more questions for C. Benson." She was on her way out the door when Elliot cried, "Wait!" He grabbed his coat and followed her out.

"You shouldn't be coming with me, Stabler," she said over her shoulder as they walked out, followed by six guards, to the waiting van. "You don't wanna see this."

"I need to talk to you." He climbed in the back with her and took the letter out of his pocket.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "It couldn't wait till we got home?"

"No," he handed her the letter. She stared at it as if it was going to bite her. She knew what it was. "Where did you get this?" she asked. Elliot, unwavering, said, "_Bernie_ gave it to me." Olivia's eyes shot up to meet his. He didn't say "my mother" or "my mom". Elliot folded his arms over his chest. "She thinks we...well, she thinks _I_ made mistake by marrying you. Wants me to, uh, get _out _of it somehow. She gave me _that_ hoping to convince me to leave you."

"Oh," she said nonchalantly, but her eyes betrayed her emotions. They were filled with grief and incredible guilt and they had gone completely grey. A sign that she was running cold, trying not to cry.

Elliot's instincts told him to hold her, kiss her, but he wanted to hear this. "Aren't you going to read it?" he asked.

"Um, no. I know what it says." Olivia handed it back to him, her hand shaking slightly, and she looked down at her feet. "I never meant for you to find out, El."

Elliot simpered. "Yeah, that's obvious. You knew! You knew, for God knows how long, and you didn't tell me. How long, huh?" He wasn't yelling, not at all, he was almost _pleading_ with her to answer.

She sighed then spoke, trying to keep her emotions under control. SHe had a hard time controlling them where Elliot was concerned. "Elliot, I didn't keep it from you to _hurt_ you! I kept if from you to _keep_ you from _being hurt_. So you would _never _have to know that you were _not _a _wanted_ child, you'd _never _have to know that your parents were supposed to fork you over to the _government_. I didn't want you to know that you, too, should have ended up a cold, unfeeling, heartless _machine_, _designed_ and _trained_ to _hunt_ and _kill,_ and sometimes, if I'm lucky, I protect an innocent or two. God, Elliot, I didn't wanna ruin your life the way..."

"The man who told _you_ the truth ruined _yours_?" he asked, tears in his eyes.

Olivia nodded, wiping the single tear that had fallen off of her cheek. "You were happy. You were a _normal_ kid, and due to unforseen circumstances, they didn't need you, so you stayed that way. Happy and normal. I didn't want to rip _that_ away from you, too because I've already taken so much. See, my childhood was shitty anyway, but you had real memories of being part of a family. I couldn't tell you that you weren't..." she stopped. She cleared her throat and smoothed out her jacket. "You think you made a mistake, now. I get it. If it's what you want, you can have your life back. I'll have the appropriate documents printed and you can sign them as soon as..."

"Don't even think about it, Benson." Elliot pulled her into his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it. He pulled her into him so tightly, anyone who watched might think they were trying to become one person. Oxygen deprived, he pulled away. "I told my mother she had no idea what she was talking about. When I read the letter, I talked to Cragen. Baby, I know what you did to keep this from me, and I know your reasons, and I'm not mad. I'm thankful. This changed the way I think about you, though. I realize now that your heart is so much bigger than I thought it was. You are _not_ cold and unfeeling, and you are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with, so my mother can go jump off a bridge, because her little plan backfired."

The van stopped and an agent stepped out and around to open the back. He cleared his throat when he swung the doors apart and saw Olivia and Elliot kissing, very passionately.

"You didn't see that, Neilson," Olivia said stepping out of the van. Elliot followed her and the guards walked behind them. They stepped into the white corridor and into a long hallway. They turned right toward the holding cells. "C. Benson's punishment, if convicted, ready?"

Nielson spoke. "Yes, CIC, Ma'am. Assailant's primary concern is Melissophobia. We have an apiarist standing by."

"Man, bees?" Olivia said pressing her palm to the panel that would open Charlie's cell. "Cats, bees, what's next? A target afraid of ponies? Ducks?"

Elliot was about to follow her in, but Neilson held him back. "Sir, you're not permitted to go inside. You may, however, watch. The walls are glass for observation purposes. Agents being trained in interrogation tactics love watching Commander Benson. I think you will see why."

Elliot watched, but couldn't hear, as Olivia prodded Charlie. Assaulting him with a barrage of questions. Charlie's head shot up and he looked around in a panic. Elliot saw the man's mouth move, "What the hell was that?" Olivia turned and Elliot saw her smirk. She pulled a little can out of her pocket and sprayed herself all over with it, but didn't spray any on Charles. Elliot watched as more questions were asked, and then Charlie broke down, giving a violent and angry confession. He slapped his arm, as if he'd just been bit by something. Elliot's eyes widened as he saw several bees flying around in the room. Olivia turned back facing the window, and her word's could clearly be distinguished. "C. Benson, you've confessed to willingly leading a known stalker, rapist and killer to your wife, for the purpose of terminating her. She was probably scared to death," Olivia said. "Now, you're going to feel exactly how _she_ felt." She nodded to Neilson, who pushed a button on his watch. Almost instantly, the room filled with bees. Olivia pressed her palm to the panel and left the room as Charlie's screams filled the air.

"Holy shit," Elliot spat as he watched the man in the glass room before him try, unsuccessfully, to run from and swat off the bees. They backed him into the corner. They were stinging and he was swelling up, turning red. Finally, he stopped moving. "What the hell did I just witness?" he asked.

Olivia looked up at her husband, the smell of insect repellant wafting off of her. She smirked at him as only one word was spoken. "Justice."

**A/N: Next chapter: Elliot reacts to what he saw, and they go after White. Review??**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Elliot's reaction. Do they take down White? And does Elliot want to know how deep do the Special Ops' waters really run? **

**DISCALIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. This lil' saga and its dialogue, narrative and plot are exclusively TStabler's©**

"That wasn't justice, that was fucking _murder_! You're no better than _he_ is! Christ, is_ that_ what happened to Porter and Jeffries?" he asked, horrified, as he followed his wife out of the corridor.

"No, Porter was afraid of drowning and Jeffries had this thing about cats." Olivia headed left toward the blue corridor, where they would be preparing to go into the field, using her as bait. "I told you, Stabler, you didn't need to see that."

Elliot scoffed. "Oh, I think I did, actually. Now I know what the hell I'm dealing with here. I could arrest you, you know." Not that he would, he just wanted her to understand that what she did wasn't exactly legal. At least, he thought so, in the real world.

Olivia laughed. "You could _not_. It's against the law for you to even _try_. You have a lot to learn," she said. She turned and looked at him, a serious and slightly sad look on her face. "Look, I didn't create any of these procedures or tactics, I just implement them. It's the way things work around here. If you don't like it, you can have those papers drawn up anytime within the next ten days. Any time after that, and your stuck with me forever." She turned on her heels and pressed a palm into the panel on the wall. "I _want_ forever with you, Elliot." The doors slid open and he watched as she stepped through it and the guards and agents began outfitting her in her under-clothing vest and disguised her to make her look like White's intended victim. His heart bottomed out. He was horrified at what she had to do as Commander Benson and he was petrified he would lose his wife, Olivia, as a result. He wished, at that moment, that there was a way he could separate the two, convince her to quit or, somehow, just accept it instantly. None of the above were ever going to happen.

* * *

The ride to the TAP was silent. Olivia kept sending furtive, heartbreaking looks at Elliot, and she had so much she wanted to say to him, but now wasn't the time. Elliot, too, wanted to say some things, the most important thing being that she could take those papers, wherever they were and shove 'em. He wasn't signing them, even if she asked him to. He needed and loved her too much.

They arrived at the location, Radio City, and filed out. Olivia gave them a signal, then pulled Elliot back into the van for a moment. She said nothing, but she kissed him. A heart-stopping, brain-melting kiss. "Just in case," she whispered. She brushed his cheek with her hand and gave him a small smile as she exited the vehicle, hoping he'd know she loved him.

When Elliot finally regained composure and left the van, the task agents were in place, including Fin, and Olivia was standing in the alley, dressed like a Rockette in a trench coat, fishnets and high heels. She heard the whisper-quiet footsteps, because she was trained to, and her instincts told her to move, but she had to let him grab her. He did, and Elliot was the first one to move, followed by the other ten men. White was surrounded, and by the time the agents had their weapons aimed, Olivia was in his grasp, held in front of him like a shield. They couldn't fire, they'd hit _her_, and they hadn't used the aerosol. White had a hand over her mouth and a knife held to her throat. She didn't look scared. Not one bit. White still didn't know who he had in his arms.

"Well," White said. "Special Ops. Where is your faithful Commander? She's gonna miss all the fun. I _know _she's been tailing me. I figured she'd want to nab me _herself_. Pity."

Elliot's eyes were widened with fear and he felt the sting of tears, but he knew she was going to be okay. Or, he was trying to convince himself of that. He had a shot, a clear one, of White's head, but the way he was holding that knife, Elliot couldn't risk shooting. White would jerk his arm, or move suddenly. He wouldn't cause his wife's death. Olivia caught his eye, seeing the fear and guilt over not being able to save her, and she winked at him. She bit White's hand, then said, "She's right here." She elbowed him in the gut, swatted his hand sending the knife flying, grabbed his arm, twisting it, then pressed three fingers into the crook of his neck, forcing him to pass out. Almost the same moves she used to save Elliot from the gunman the day they met. "Welken, take the target directly to a holding cell. We have all pertinent information regarding phobias and medical history on file from his employment at the academy. Evaluation with Huang is not necessary."

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am," Welken said as he and another agent carried the unconscious man to the van.

Fin lowered his weapon. "That was anticlimactic," he said looking at Elliot.

"Fin, in my mind, every climax that could have had ended with my wife dying. I liked anticlimactic." Elliot ran over to her, about to hug her, but stopped, aware of the agents around them. He looked at her, she looked at him. They hadn't said anything of real substance to each other since the interrogation room hallway. Olivia swallowed hard and looked down at her feet, unsure of what was going on in his mind. She looked up, not at Elliot, but at the agents who were leaving the scene and filing into the van.

"Elliot, I..." she stopped. A lump in her throat kept her from talking.

He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear. "I couldn't take the shot. I had him, but I couldn't do it."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that, El." Olivia's eyes narrowed. "Do you really think I was going to..."

"No," he said. "I just wanted you to know. I froze. I couldn't shoot him because it would mean possibly hurting you. No matter what, Liv, I will always choose you."

She threw her arms around him and breathed him in. "Take me home."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said playfully He scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the van.

* * *

They walked through the elevator doors, and Olivia took off the trench coat, tossing it over the couch. "Holy shit," Elliot said hoarsely. Olivia turned around and raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

"You...uh....Liv, that is...Jesus." Elliot advanced on her, running his hands over her body. "How did they get a task-vest on under that?"

Olivia laughed, then narrowed her eyes, walking backward into the bedroom. "Why don't you come take it off of me and find out for yourself?"

* * *

They were lying in their bed, a tangled mess of naked limbs, holding hands and enjoying the way their matching bands glimmered in the moonlight filtering in from their panoramic window. "God, they look great, don't they?" Elliot said, laughing, twirling his ring around his finger and kissing Olivia on the forehead.

"So, I take it you do not think of me as a mistake?" she asked, entwining their fingers.

He shook his head and ran his hand down her back. "No, I never thought that for a second, baby. I am appalled at some of the things I've seen this little organization of yours do, but I know that you don't know any different, and to you it's normal. I'm _not_ going to change my mind about us, you _need_ to believe that, and you have to _stop_ second guessing it." He positioned them so that she was back on top of him, and looked up at her. "Talk to me. I want to know everything, Liv. I'm tired of being surprised and shocked by things that I have to live with and eventually take part in myself. Maybe, if I know, then I won't get angry and you won't think I'm leaving."

"Everything, huh?" she asked, looking down at him. "Prepare for the shock of your life, Stabler."

**A/N: It's shorter, I know, but it's 2AM! The next one's uber-long! And there's a bit of 'Lovin! **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: What did Liv tell Elliot? Does he get a new partner? And what's next on the radar for Special Ops?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

Elliot didn't get much sleep after Olivia had told him the Ops story. The secret service? Special Ops. Those guys in red with the fuzzy hats outside Buckingham palace? Ops. Every high ranking general in the armed forces and chief of every police department and division had to answer to Special Ops. Area 51 was real and those "men in black" who covered it all up were Ops agents. Pop rocks and soda? That's an Ops sanctioned torture tactic that proved to be rather ineffective, so it was let loose into the public to scare children into avoiding the sugar rush.

To say Elliot was surprised was an understatement. He was especially shocked when Olivia told him everything there was to tell about her own life. She told him about the horrendous way the government forced her mother into a lab and drugged her, forcing her to have another man's baby against her will. He learned all about the fourteen years of abuse she suffered at the hands of her drunken mother and the neglect Charles gave. She gave explicit detailed accounts of her days at the academy, including the first time she killed a man, on her sixteenth birthday. Instead of a driver's license and a car, they were given their first weapons and targets.

She told him about their staunch inflicted behaviors. Friendship, love, sadness, hate, admiration and other emotions were ignored, abolished, replaced with only apathy and things like strength, intelligence, speed, stealth, and power. The ability to make choices was taken away and replaced with schedules, rules, regulations, and policies that controlled every aspect of their lives. Elliot had asked her how she survived. He said living like that sounded so cruel, so _dehumanizing_. Olivia told him, "That's all I've ever known, El. To me, it's normal and the way _you_ have been living _your _life is unorganized, chaotic, confusing, and crazy." Her last words before getting out of bed to start her day were "Even more confusing, though, is how someone like you could still love someone like me, despite everything I have just told you." He'd been awake and contemplating ever since.

* * *

Elliot walked into the precinct, tired and reeling from the sleepless night of intense sex and conversation, and he found the desk across from his was no longer empty. Confused, he looked over to Munch and raised an eyebrow. "I got a new partner?"

"Yep," Munch said with a smirk.

Elliot groaned. "Great. My life was turned upside down last night, I know more about government conspiracies than _you_ do, I didn't get _any_ sleep, my wife left before I got to tell her I how much I love her this morning, my mother called and wanted to know why I am not moving home yet, and now I have to break in a _rookie_? Shit, today sucks."

The interrogation room door opened behind him, and he turned to see Olivia and Fin step out with Casey. "Well," Novak said. "I have never seen a child open up like that. You were amazing, Benson."

"Thank you," Olivia replied. "Cassidy and Munch are going to find the boy's father and bring him in right now." She nodded to Cassidy, who looked at Munch. The two men rose from their desks and left.

Olivia left Casey and Fin, who were going back to speak with the boy, and went to sit at the desk across from Elliot. She looked up and saw him staring at her, surprised. "What?" she said with a smirk. Elliot, wondering why everyone seemed to be smirking at him, shook his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I work here," Olivia said, opening her desk drawer and pulling out a file. "At least, part time." She tapped a button on her watch and connected to Welken. "Still running half the word full time, much to your dismay," she said as she blipped and beeped into the computer on her wrist. "I love you, too, by the way."

"You're...really? I mean, I thought you weren't going to take the job," Elliot said as he finally sat down. "It was offered to you almost two months ago."

Olivia glanced up at him. "I've been a bit busy, Stabler. My boss at Ops was killed, I had to take over as the Commander of the world's most powerful government operative agency, I saved your ass, twice, oh, _and_ I got _married_. Forgive me if stepping in to work with Special Victims was a little low on my list of things to do." She grinned and winked at him.

Elliot laughed. "Okay, so were you going to tell me? Why'd you pick today? Why now?"

"For a detective you ask an awful lot of stupid questions. I was not going to tell you, I wanted to surprise you. So, surprise! I picked today because it was the first day I didn't have a task that needed my undivided attention, so I had the time to come in and get settled, and now seemed appropriate because after the whole R. White debacle, it became very clear to me, El, that we should not be out in the field _without_ each other. You have to watch my back, and I have to watch yours, because if it's left up to someone else and they fail..."

"Yeah," he interrupted. "I know. Please, do not finish that statement." He shuffled around some papers on his desk, and looked up at her. It felt as if they'd been partners forever, like they belonged in these desks. "IAB. They're not gonna like..."

Olivia cocked an eyebrow and gave him a sideways smile. "You wanna think about what you're about to say?"

He stopped, shut his mouth, and thought. Then he smirked, getting it. "Right. We're the Untouchables."

"Benson, Stabler. Munch and Cassidy are bringing in the boy's father and when he gets here, you're in the pit! We need a confession," Cragen yelled from his office doorway. He walked back inside, smirking, as was the trend in the bullpen today, and sat down. He knew, something told him, that Benson and Stabler would quickly become the best pair the NYPD had ever seen.

* * *

They didn't disappoint. Between Elliot's hot-headed, violent threats and Olivia's intimidating, yet somehow seductive, interrogating tactics, they had the man giving full verbal and written statements within an hour. Casey had him arraigned and in a holding cell by nine-thirty that evening. They had only officially been partners for a day and they'd kicked some pretty major ass.

"Hey," Cassidy said, coming over to Olivia's desk. "Good work, today. I'd, uh, love to see what you'd do in the field. You probably look amazing, taking down a perp. Must be hot." He smirked and wagged an eyebrow.

Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "I admit, it is quite a sight to behold. You should ask my _husband_," she said.

"Oh, that again?" Cassidy leaned in closer to her. "I thought I was making it pretty clear, I don't really care that you're married. I want you. Even though you, uh, kind of scare the shit out of me," he gulped. He remembered what she did to him when he was being interrogated at HQ.

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "If you so much as _think_ about trying _anything_ with me, it'll be the _last _thing you _ever_ do," she spat in a whisper. Elliot walked over and put an arm around her, glaring at Cassidy. "Ready to go?" he asked. Olivia nodded, pushing past Cassidy, then waving to Munch and Fin on the way out. "You hungry?" Olivia asked, walking down the hallway.

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, what's on your schedule tonight?"

"I was thinking, maybe we can go that diner you took me to on our first date?" She looked up at him, and he smiled. "Or, ya know, somewhere else. I want to go out, show you off."

He linked his hand with hers. "Liv, you are adorable. You're really trying to be..."

"Normal," she finished for him. "Yes, I am."

Elliot chuckled. "I was going to say 'the romantic one'. You set up that candlelight dinner, and now you wanna go out, I haven't done anything for you. I feel like I'm neglecting you."

Olivia widened her eyes. "Are you kidding? El, you have opened up doors and broken down walls and you...say these things to me, you don't even know what your words do to me, when you speak...Elliot, you are the only person in my life who has _never,_ not for a single _moment_, neglected me. I dragged you to _hell _and here you are holding my hand and taking me to dinner, that's romance, right there."

He stopped in his tracks, tugged on her hand, stopping her, and she turned to face him. "I don't wanna go out anymore. I want to go home. Right now. We'll order some rabbit food for you and some _real _food for me, _I _will light the candles this time, and then I want to make love to you, slowly." He caressed her cheek and rocked his hips into hers.

Olivia looked into his eyes and smiled. "See, right there. Words." Her eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Her watch bleeped, interrupting their moment, and she groaned. "Sorry," she muttered. He nodded as she looked down. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Great," she almost yelled.

"Honey, what is it?" Elliot said pulling her back into his arms.

Olivia dropped her head into his chest, letting out a light chuckle. "Unfuckingbelievable, Elliot. My next task, the man whose life I need to save," she said still giggling.

"Baby, come on, who is it?" He ran a hand up her back and down her arm.

She picked her head up, and exhaled, calming down. "It's Cassidy."

**A/N: Oh, no! Now, he's really going to bother her! Who's after him anyway?  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: The shower? Can a Commander turn down a task? And who exactly is after Cassidy, anyway? Got your hardhats on? A little bit of Smut ahead!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

Her internal alarm clock went off at three-oh-five in the morning. Not that she was asleep. She rolled out of the bed and padded softly to the bathroom. She pushed the buttons, setting the water temperature and stepped into the streaming spray of hot water. Sleeping naked had its advantages, it cut seconds off of her time in the morning. She closed her eyes as the liquid heat ran down her hair, neck and back, but opened them again as she felt hands running down the same path.

"Good morning," she whispered over her shoulder.

Elliot pressed into her, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulled her back toward him. He kissed her neck, sucking on her pulse. "Morning," he mumbled. He spun her around and moved his neck up to her mouth. "God, I love you," he said before he pressed his lips to hers. The water suddenly grew hotter. Too hot. But they didn't care. Elliot reached down and grabbed one of Olivia's legs. He lifted it up, sliding into her with ease, and started an incredibly slow, deep, rhythmic thrusting. She grabbed his shoulders, digging her nails into his muscular blades, and moaned into his mouth. As he filled her and pulled out, his rocking hips forced her to slide against the cool tiles, the contrast in feeling between that and the scalding water was almost too much to handle.

He reached down and pulled her other leg up and she instinctively locked her ankles around his waist, leaning back and arching into him, never breaking their kiss. She pulled away, reluctantly, staring into his midnight blue eyes. "Oh, my God, El."

"I love you, Liv," he said, rubbing his nose against hers lightly, thrusting deeply into her. "I love you, too." She ran her hands from his back to his head and held on for dear life as she came hard around him, twice, one right after the other and shuddered as she heard him coo into her ear, "Yeah, that's it, baby. Cum for me. Just like that," before he pushed so deep into her she could feel every inch of him, and he spilled everything he had into her, bringing her over the edge, yet again. "Holy mother of God, Elliot."

He kissed her as he pulled out of her and dropped her to her feet, but he didn't let go of her. "Now, that is how you take a hot shower," he said, kissing her again, reaching for the body wash. The seconds she saved by not having to undress were completely lost to the half-hour of intense sex she just had with her husband. She was very lucky she was her own boss, or she'd be in a great deal of trouble for being late.

* * *

The usual black files were passed around the briefing room as Olivia stood before the agents. "Task: Cassidy, and I can not believe I am saying this, is at the top of the secure task list. I will personally be watching him at his place of employment, along with Stabler and Tutuola." Olivia stepped over to the digital screen and touched a few buttons.

Elliot snapped his head up from his file. "Not that I like him or anything, but why would anyone want to kill Cassidy?"

"I could give you twenty reasons right now, Stabler. And they're all reasons why I would do it myself, with my bare hands." The room erupted in laughter. "However, I am not our target. This woman is believed to be the assailant," she said as she tapped another button bringing a large photo up on the screen.

"Harper?" Elliot asked in disbelief.

Olivia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"That's Harper Anderson. She was a rape victim from about a year ago. Cassidy thought she was lying and it cost us the case. She ended up shooting the guy who raped her, with the help of his wife, actually, but we couldn't prove anything other than self-defense. Why is she trying to kill him?"

Olivia looked at him, stunned. "Stabler, I think you just told us why."

* * *

"So, someone's really trying to kill me? You're really going to protect me?" Cassidy asked as he sat in the interrogation room, staring at Olivia.

She nodded, afraid that if she opened her mouth she'd either laugh or throw up. She glanced up at Elliot, who had his arms crossed in front of him and an unreadable expression on his face.

Cassidy smirked. "Awesome," he said. "So, like, you have to follow me around and, what, do everything I ask you to do?"

"I'm a special agent, not a goddamned genie, you half-wit." Olivia rolled her eyes. "You do what I tell you to do. You listen to me. It is not the other way around. I don't follow you, I lead you, along with about seven other agents at any given moment." She rose to her feet and leaned threateningly over the table. "And if you so much as try to hold my fucking hand, my weapon might accidentally discharge. I have never failed a task before, but there is, as they say, a first time for everything."

Cassidy gulped. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Fuck that," Elliot spat. "You look at her funny and I'll break you in half," he said as he loomed over Cassidy.

Cassidy leaned back, eyes wide. "Aren't you supposed to be trying to protect me?"

"Shut up," Olivia and Elliot said at the same time.

Cragen came in and shouted an address at them. "Cassidy, go. Munch is waiting."

"Uh, Cap, if Cassidy goes..."

"Fine, Benson. Go. Munch will stay with Stabler and wait for you to get back with a suspect." Cragen spat. "Move!"

They walked out, and Olivia drove to the address, stepping out onto the street to find Melinda Warner crouching over a body on the gravel. "What have we got?" Olivia asked, pulling on a glove.

Warner rose to her feet. "Sexual assault, fluids present. She fought back pretty damn hard, defensive wounds are all over her hands and arms, I'm going to scrape under her nails as soon as I get her back to Head...the morgue. Whoever did this was pretty damn mad at her."

"Wow, I, uh, I've never seen someone so..." Cassidy held a hand up to his mouth.

Olivia smirked. "Broken?" She kneeled over the body and checked the pockets for ID, and other evidence. "Breathe, Cassidy. In through your nose, out through your mouth." Olivia bagged the wallet and the keys, and held up a small piece of clay. "Hmm, Warner?"

"Yes, Comm...Benson?" the M.E asked.

"When you get this woman back to the, uh, morgue, run tests on her clothes and skin. Find out if she was near any recently detonated explosives or chemicals. I'm interested to know why she's got chunks of dry C-four in her pockets." She bagged it and looked back at Cassidy. "Hey, you aren't allowed to hurl on the vic, kid."

Cassidy nodded. "Not gonna hurl, just a little queasy." He turned and followed Olivia back to the car. "That woman didn't have a face," he said as he pulled the door open and slid into the passenger seat.

"Nope," Olivia said, starting the car. She was suddenly pulled over the center console and Cassidy kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth and pulling her tightly to him. She instantly shoved him off of her and punched him square in the jaw with her left hand and in the nose with her right, then wiped her mouth, spitting vigorously. "What the fuck, Cassidy?"

"Jesus, Benson," he said, holding his nose, which was bleeding slightly. "You fucking punched me."

"You fucking kissed me!" she yelled, stepping on the gas and peeling out with a screech.

Cassidy scoffed. "You wanted it," he said with a grunt.

She punched him again, and he groaned in pain. "You asshole. Not if you were the last human on Earth, man. There are some very realistic looking robots walking around my building." Olivia wiped her mouth again.

Cassidy, still holding his nose, looked over at her. "Are you, uh, gonna tell Elliot about this?"

"No," she said as she pulled into the precinct parking lot. "You are."

* * *

She walked into the bullpen, passed by Elliot and ran toward the coffee table. She poured a cup of espresso, gargled with it and spit it into the sink, poured another one, did the same, then poured a third and drank it. Elliot, concerned, ran over to her but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. She was glaring, viciously, at something. He followed her gaze and saw Cassidy, swollen nosed and black-eyed and then he understood.

"What did he do to you?" he asked his wife.

"_He's_ going to tell you that," Olivia said, downing another cup of the espresso.

Elliot walked over to Cassidy, smiling. "So, _Brian_, something you want to tell me?"

"Uh, well, Elliot, um, I, uh, may have, kind of, maybe, kissed her?" Cassidy said, flinching, waiting to be hit again.

Elliot, fuming, looked at Fin, then back to Cassidy. "Did she ever give you any reason to believe she wanted you to kiss her?"

"No," Cassidy said, still squeezing his eyes shut.

"And, did she ever, at any time, reciprocate this kiss, signifying that it was, in fact, enjoyable for her?" Elliot asked.

Cassidy shook his head. "Elliot, she beat the shit out of me, man. Just kill me and get it over with."

Elliot laughed. "B. Cassidy, you are under arrest for sexually assaulting the Commander of United Forces Special Ops. You have the right to...well, no, actually, you don't have any rights. Fin, take this guy to a holding cell, now."

Fin smirked. "Yes, Sir. I am so glad you have the brain of a fly, Cassidy," he said as he dragged Cassidy out of the bullpen.

Elliot turned to Olivia. "Well, your plan worked. How'd you know he'd kiss you?"

"He's been trying to get in my pants since the moment he met me, El. Us, alone in a car? What would you do?" she asked.

Elliot smirked. "A lot more than kiss you. Really, though, you let him kiss you just so you could lock him up?"

"He's safe in a holding cell in a government building. H. Anderson can't get to him, and I don't have to spend any more time with him. It was a small price to pay." She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled his chest.

Elliot laughed. "You really did beat the shit out of him, though."

"Just because I knew he was going to do it, it doesn't mean I was about to let him really kiss me without suffering the consequences, El." Hand in hand, they left the bullpen and headed to HQ to track down Harper.

**A/N: Oh, relax. There will be more Cassidy drama up ahead. He's too much fun to play with.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Huang evaluates the SVU gang, bringing a painful memory of his, and Olivia's, into the light, and revealing that Cassidy has a screw loose.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and original characters, belong to TStabler©**

"Okay," Cragen said handing out blue files filled with questionnaires. "Annual psych-evals, either do it, without complaining, or I'll make sure the door hits you on the way out."

"Christ," Olivia muttered, rising and pouring a cup of espresso.

Dr. Huang cleared his throat. "Um, it's all completely confidential. No one but me will read these files." He caught Olivia's eye and she smirked. She'd read them, too, but they weren't going to be told that, of course.

"This thing serious? You need a complete family history?" Munch said. "How does knowing what blood type my father had affect my mental state?" he wondered to himself as he filled in the forms.

"Well, everything affects your mental capacity Detective Munch. This is a very thorough evaluation. Some of the questions may seem a little personal and tough to answer, but please, be candid and honest," Huang said, walking over to Olivia. "You, too."

She raised an eyebrow at him and flattened her smile. "I'm rather incapable of lying, Dr. Huang."

"Yes, but you're very capable of leaving certain questions blank," he said with a smirk. "I suggest you do not do that."

Ten minutes later and they had arrived at the sensitive questions. "Do you now, or have you ever, engage in any reckless or life-threatening activities?" Munch asked. "I'm a cop, you dumb fuck, the answer's yes."

"Have you ever knowingly put your life in danger for the sole purpose of experiencing an adrenaline rush?" Fin asked raising an eyebrow.

Elliot snorted. "How have the learned behaviors from your childhood affected your behaviors as an adult? Give specific examples."

"Really? I'm sorry," Olivia said, tossing the blue folder onto her desk. "Dr. Huang, I can't answer these questions."

"Benson, you have to answer..."

"I would, but I can't! I don't _know_ the answers," she yelled. She abruptly left the room and signaled for her agents to follow her. Huang picked up the file and looked down at the page she'd been on. "Oh, I see. Well, I can always just, um," he waved a hand in the air. "Forget this part of her evaluation."

* * *

"Captain Cragen, I'm concerned. Cassidy, if he comes back to work, has an insatiable sexual appetite and an obsessive personality. He might become the type of person your unit is here to put away! He's also weak-stomached, Sir. He isn't handling the victims and cases you process in this unit well, at all, and it may be affecting him, psychiatrically speaking."

Cragen ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Can we talk about the detectives who aren't sitting in a government cage?"

Huang smirked. "Yes, sir. Munch is using humor and wit as a defense mechanism, he doesn't like to get personal or emotional with cases, victims or the people he works with. That aside, he is perfectly fine. Fin seems to live for thrills. He likes to drive fast, shoot high-powered weapons and cliff-dive. He's an adrenaline junkie, Sir, and his thrill-seeking might get in the way of doing his job if, say, he chases a perp into an amusement park, but I foresee no real problem with him, either. Stabler," he paused. "Is a very angry man, Captain Cragen. He has deep-seeded hostility and he takes it out on the suspects, people who cross him, people who he finds offensive, Sir, he is a loose cannon. I _know_ why, I'm only telling you that you're damn lucky he married into a very privileged and protected life, or you'd be forced to write him up, suspend him, even fire him. He's going to blow if he doesn't learn to control his temper."

"See what you can do about that," Cragen said, nodding. "What else?"

Huang smirked. "Well, his whole reason for existing, now, is his wife, Sir. Almost every question about love, loyalty, friendship, honor or trust was answered with something to do with her. If I wasn't aware of her, uh, the only word for it is a condition, her _need_ for him to be her partner, I would tell you that you need to split them up."

Cragen smirked. "Well, glad for that condition, then, because with his temper and her power I don't want to piss either of them off." His brow furrowed. "What about Benson?'

"I don't know, Sir. She only filled in her mother's medical history, now that she knows Charles wasn't her real father. She doesn't know anything about Marsden Senior's medical or personal background. In regards to childhood questions, her answers were cold, formal. One word. Simple. When it came to the topics of love, trust, friendship, loyalty and honor, she wrote about Elliot and mentioned the agency, and then crossed out anything to do with the agency. She's lost trust in them. And then, when the questions about adolescence and adulthood came up, she walked out. She stopped at this question," Huang paused, picking up Olivia's folder. "If you could change one aspect of your teenage life, what would you change and why? Her answer is, 'I would have jumped' but then there's another letter, an 'o'. Like she was going to write something else. On, over, out, onto, _off _? Then she walked out."

"Huang, do you think she's all right?" Cragen asked.

Huang nodded. "She's designed to be, Captain. She technically shouldn't have even been evaluated, since her emotional and mental capacities are beyond the normal scope. I would, however, like to know what the rest of that answer is," Huang said, rising to his feet. As he left the office, Cragen thought about how he would like to know, too.

* * *

"No, Reilly, I do not think that is a good tactic at all," Olivia said into her headset as she set the table. She turned back to the viewscreen and tapped a button. "What am I looking at here?"

Elliot walked in, through the elevator, and saw his wife, multitasking. She had a plate in her hand on her hip and she was running some kind of search on the living room TV. He stifled his laughter and shook his head. "I do not think sending B. Cassidy into an open field naked is a good idea, Reilly. I do think it's funny, but I don't want to be...yes I want to apprehend the target, but not at the expense of my task, and certainly not at the risk of seeing B. Cassidy completely nude."

Elliot laughed out loud, making Olivia turn to face him. "Reilly, I have to go. Keep thinking. I want a trap set with a TAP by oh-four-hundred." She flung her headset onto the desk and smiled at Elliot. "You're home early."

"Cragen, uh, told me to come home and check on you. He was worried." He kissed Olivia and ran a hand down the side of her body, savoring the feel of her.

"I'm fine. I had two meetings and a task in Asia. Saved an Empress," she said smugly.

"Oh, well bully for you," he remarked with another kiss. "I got into a fight with a serial rapist. Knocked him flying into the interrogation room window."

"Nice job, honey," she said smirking. "Dinner's ready and I actually ordered you dessert."

He grinned. "Is it you again? That was fun, and quite delicious." He kissed her. "A little sticky though."

"No, it's not _me_. It's _actual_ ice cream." Olivia pulled out her chair and sat down.

Elliot jabbed his fork into the pasta on his plate and twirled. "You, uh, were gonna jump off of something in high school?"

Her fork hit her plate with a clang. "Shit," she muttered. "Confidential my ass."

"Like you're not gonna read them, Liv," he spat. "Huang asked me to ask you about this one thing, baby. I'd kind of like to know, myself."

She huffed, crossed her arms in front of her and sighed. She squinted a bit and stared into her plate, remembering. "At the academy, third year, we're all filed into this huge room. Ten of us, the whole class, and there's these ten high diving boards hanging over a shallow pool, only they're not that big and they were balanced. Like, you could only just stand on them, if you move, even an inch you fall off, they'd tip. So, we're all ordered to climb the ladders and stand on the boards. That was the challenge. It was a stamina challenge, the last one standing wins the second to last gets kicked out of the academy for giving up when they were so close to winning." Olivia smirked and scoffed. "My class, El, they start dropping like flies. I'm standing there, still as can be, calm, cool as a fucking cucumber and I hear eight splashes, eight people hit the water, and I laughed. I thought to myself, why the hell are they even _here_?"

Elliot, listening intently, said, "Okay, so what does this have to do with..."

"Well, I looked over at the guy next to me and he was _scared_. We weren't _supposed_ to be scared. He was _crying_. Elliot, If I could, I would go back and jump into that water before he fell into it, because he was thrown out of the academy the second his foot left the plank. They didn't even let him pack. And he was _crying_ the whole time. He couldn't go home, because his parents didn't want him back, so after begging and some convincing on my part, they stuck him in the Medical Intelligence academy in Washington. _I_ ruined_ his_ life because I had better fucking _balance_. If he hadn't been so emotional," she took a deep breath. "Then he wouldn't have lost control. At least, if _I_ had jumped, or fallen, or whatever, then I could have_ handled_ it, I was already a goddamned robot. But, he still _felt_ things. I found out after graduation that they'd _planned_ it. Everyone _jumped_. They knew _I_ wouldn't jump, or fall, because I _always_ play to _win,_ and they_ needed_ an excuse to kick him out. They considered him a _failure_. It was a set up."

Elliot rose from his seat and pulled her out of hers. He wrapped her in arms and kissed her rapturously, "I love you, you beautiful human being."

"Shit, El. What are you gonna do if I tell you what happened fourth year with the rocket launcher?" she asked, wrapping an arm around his neck. "Huang thought I tried to jump off of something to, what, kill myself?"

Elliot nodded. "You're a complete conundrum, Liv. I guess he thought, maybe, you had a little teenage trauma going on."

"Elliot, I was dehumanized at age fourteen. Without the ability to feel sadness or depression, I lacked the ability to be suicidal. Huang, of all people, should have known that." She shot a hand up to her mouth and closed her eyes. "No, I know why he wanted to know."

"Why, baby?" Elliot asked, furrowing his brow.

She absent-mindedly scratched the nape of Elliot's neck and looked into his eyes. "He was the boy on the diving board."

**A/N: So, Dr. Huang couldn't cut it as a field agent because he couldn't let go of his emotions? Good, he's a brilliant psychiatrist! Next: Who finds Harper? And Cassidy tries again! Reviews? Please?**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Who gets Harper? Cassidy's an ass. Where does the line between dream and memory fade?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Olivia was walking down the green corridor, followed by Fin, Elliot and several other agents, and Cassidy, who was only coming because he was the task, the bait. "Pieretti, Hamilton, you will take positions one and five. Aerial. Keep your cameras on and do not lose sight of the target. Welken, Hampton, you're at three and nine. If H. Anderson tries to run, you'll be the first to follow and so help you God, if you fail to pursue and contain," she said shaking her head. "Stabler, Tutuola. You're at three and seven. If she pulls a weapon, shoot the bitch."

Olivia loaded her weapon as she kicked the doors open and the task unit filed out into the van. Cassidy had not stopped eyeing Olivia since they let him out of his cell. He had been dreaming about their kiss in the car, and even though she punched him, three times, he loved the feel of her hands on him. It made him excited, stimulated and energized, to know that he would be alone with her, on a secluded street corner, and he had someone willing to help him get what he wanted.

The van stopped and the agents filed out, taking their positions. Olivia gave them a series of complicated hand signals and they all moved. Except Elliot. He cocked his head and stared at her. "Just follow Fin," she said with a chuckle. He was new at this and a lot to learn. Olivia shoved Cassidy under the light of the street lamp and she slunk back into the shadows, flattening herself against the wall.

"Ya know, Benson, how do you even know she's coming?" Cassidy asked.

"Shut up," she spat. "You are not permitted to speak to me, you asshole. Face forward. Act like you're waiting for the damn bus. She's after you, this is her TAP."

Cassidy chuckled. "No, Benson," he said as he stepped back into the shadows with her. "It's mine." He grabbed her and pulled her toward him, she wrestled out of his grasp and swung at him, hitting him in the chin.

* * *

"What the hell is going on over there?" Elliot asked. "Isn't he supposed to stay in the light?"

Fin nodded. "Yo, Hamilton. Gimmie a report on position zero, now!"

"Due to the intense darkness, visual report is inaccurate. I can't see anything, Tutuola. There are some noises, though. A scuffle," Hamilton replied.

"Shit," Fin muttered. He was about to move, but Elliot stopped him. "My wife, man," he said as he bolted down the block to the corner.

* * *

"Come on, Benson. You want it, you know you do," Cassidy said as the knife in his right hand slid across her throat and his left snaked into her black task pants. Olivia kicked and struggled, but he had the knife pressed up against her jugular, firmly, and she was already bleeding. They were on the ground, in the alley, and he was on top of her, pinning her down with the mere threat of slicing her throat open, his fingers were cold and rough and she knew where they were heading.

Knowing the wound would be deep, and hurt like a bitch, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and brought her knee up to her chest, giving a swift kick outward, hurling Cassidy off of her. She sprung to her feet and readied herself for what was next. Cassidy, pushing himself off the floor, holding the ribs which Olivia had just cracked, laughed. "You are making me work for it aren't you?" He lunged for her, pinning her up against the brick wall, but someone grabbed him and threw him off of her. Elliot. He raised his weapon as he moved between Cassidy and Olivia.

"You have a death wish, don't you?" he asked. In seconds, the rest of the task unit ran toward the alley, aiming their weapons at Cassidy.

Olivia, woozy, holding a hand to her throat, said, "H. Anderson isn't coming. This was a set-up. _His_. He already had a friend of his in the homicide division find H. Anderson. She's in a holding cell at the twenty-ninth precinct."

"Get up, you piece of shit," Fin said, kicking Cassidy. Hampton and Hamilton dragged him to his feet.

"You shouldn't have put up such a fight. You would have loved it, Benson," he spat as the agents carried him away.

Fin turned back to Elliot and Olivia and his eyes widened. "Fuck, man! Get her up!" He ran over to the wall behind Elliot, where Olivia had crumpled, a trail of blood oozing from her neck, and a puddle of it in her limp hand.

* * *

"I'm fine," she said stoically to Dr. Huang, ignoring the pacing of her husband.

"Commander Benson, you were sexually assaulted. It is perfectly okay to feel..."

"Fine!," she yelled. "I feel fine! I have been attacked before," she said waving an arm. "Shot, stabbed, punched. I've blown up, twice, it's all part of the job!"

Elliot stopped pacing and looked at her. "You've never been _raped_, Liv. That's _not_ part of your fucking _job_," he muttered.

Olivia blinked. She wasn't sure, actually, if she had been or not. Cassidy's actions, his force and his roughness, it sparked something. It triggered something. It felt familiar. She used to have terrible dreams about someone, her assigned partner, coming into her room at the academy, fourth year. But, they were just dreams. They couldn't possibly be memories. Her eyes blurred as she shook her head.

"He almost killed you, besides. How the hell did he know where the one place that could kill you instantly was? He's got the IQ of a peanut." Elliot said, resuming his pacing. "How the fuck did that pea-brain plan something like this?"

"With help," Olivia said. "He had to have help. An agent. Someone else who'd want to..."

Elliot sat beside her and grabbed her hand. "No, baby. _Everyone_ loves you here. _No one_ would want to help that fucker hurt you."

Huang nodded. "Your husband is right. No current agent would ever do anything to harm you, Commander. Now, I'm imploring you, you have access to feelings and emotions now, tap into them and please do not bottle the events of this evening..."

"No _current_ agent. But a _former_ one would. Shit!" She hopped off of the examination table and looked at the doctor. "I'm fine, I swear," she lied. "I've got Elliot. He's all I need to get through this." That was true. She pressed a palm to the door panel and it swung open. Elliot rose and followed her out. She pressed a button on her watch and clipped on her Bluetooth. "Hampton, pull up termination file DP-seven-oh-five. That's what I expected. Who was the agent in charge of that sanctioned termination? Wonderful. Bring him down to a holding cell. Then, call the academy, have them move graduation up a week. Send out the watchers and recruiters ASAP with the revised IQ tests. We need to repopulate this agency with people I can fucking trust." She pressed a button on her watch, ending the communication. "Fuck," she spat.

"What, baby?" Elliot said, finding himself running to keep up with her quick paced march.

Olivia led Elliot into their elevator and spoke. "Agent Welken, who was in charge of interrogating and terminating a malicious agent, falsified records and let the man go. So, there is, in fact, a rogue agent out there somewhere who does, for a very good reason, want revenge. Personal, sexual _and_ professional."

Elliot scoffed. "That's just wonderful. Who?"

"Ex-Agent Dean Porter." Olivia ran into the penthouse and, with Elliot hot on her heels, tore into a bookshelf in the library, and when she found the book she was looking for, the CIC manual on academy procedures and policies regarding female genetic agents, she took a deep breath. She opened it, scanning the pages, slowly. She slammed the book shut and turned, throwing her arms around Elliot. "Why? I'm not supposed to remember. I remember everything," she whispered. Well into the night, Elliot held his wife as she told him things she, herself, was not supposed to know.

**A/N: All will be explained when she confronts her father, the UCIC. **


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Welcome to Special Ops. Life, as you know it, is over.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Olivia marched down the red corridor. Elliot was behind her, trying to keep up. He was supposed to be at work an hour ago, but Olivia had called Cragen. Apparently, he needed to be at this meeting. For whatever reason, he was nervous. They turned left and Olivia pressed a palm to a panel and the glass doors slid open. She marched toward the front of the room, shoving Elliot into a seat in the front row. They were in some sort of lecture hall. Elliot looked at his wife and blinked. There was something _off_ about her today. Something _different._

The back doors slid open and eight young men and one young woman, all wearing crisp black suits, filed into the room. They were being led by an agent and he directed them to sit in the front row, filling in the seats next to Elliot. Olivia's eyes scanned the group and when they landed on the woman, Elliot saw a flash of pain and regret in them. Finally, she spoke.

"There are nine of you. Who failed?"

"Permission to speak, Commander?" A young man with dark brown hair and startling blue eyes rose.

"Granted," Olivia said.

The man cleared his throat. "Protégé Miller. One month ago. He broke down during a routine task simulation. He saw the innocent, a child, terminated in front of him. It was only a virtual program, but he screamed. He cried. He failed."

She looked at him and could swear that she was looking at Elliot, only younger. "What is your name, young one?" Olivia asked.

"Stabler, CIC, Ma'am." The boy sat down, as Elliot choked and Olivia's eyes widened.

"Hampton," she called. "I want every file and every bit of data on that rookie. Now." She turned back to the front of the room. "Welcome to Special Ops. Life, as you know it, is over. You've all been chosen, some of you have been _created_, for this agency based on several characteristics. Speed, agility, intelligence, ability to disregard human emotion, and _one_ of you has been _completely_ rewired to feel absolutely _nothing_," she said, looking into the young girl's eyes. They were hollow. Cold. It was like looking into a mirror. "It isn't easy being the woman, but if you play your cards right, as I have, eventually, you get to be _the man_," she smirked. The young woman smirked back.

"You have all been given _special_ skills. Individual _talents_ that make you a unique and invaluable part of this unit. You will use these skills _only_ when directed, and you will answer _only_ to me. I give the orders around here. Agent Hamilton has given you all keys. You live on the second floor. Your chambers are slightly more commodious than your academy housing, but you are what we here at Special Ops call 'ground-floorers'. You have _no_ privileges, _no_ respect, _no_ merit and _no_ rights. You must _earn_ all of those things, and you _know_ how to do it. You know how things run, you know the rules, but what they do not teach you in the academy, what they neglect to tell you when you walk out _those _doors and into _these_, is what I'm about to tell you now." She eyed every single one of them, lingering on Elliot for a while longer than she'd intended. "You can not trust the person to your left, and the person to your right will convince you that you can. The only two people in this agency that I can swear _on my honor_ will _never_ lie to you, betray you, or use you in any way that is not concordant with agency policy, are SIC Stabler," she pointed to Elliot, who gasped and raised both eyebrows, "And myself. I'm Commander Benson. I'm not your friend, I'm not your mother, I'm not your goddamn therapist. If you need _any_ of those things, then you haven't been properly trained and you can leave right now. The rest of you, congratulations." She stepped off of the platform and whizzed by Elliot. Under her breath, only he could hear her, she said, "Welcome to hell."

As the new agents stood, Elliot looked at them. Their faces were stoic, they all had they same evil smirk that Elliot had remembered seeing on Olivia's face the day they met. His face landed on the young man who called himself Stabler. He didn't know how they were related, but he was going to find out. He looked down at his watch and huffed. Cragen was gonna kill him.

* * *

"The phones have been ringing off the hook," Munch yelled.

Fin griped, "And not a single tip has been useful."

"Well," Cragen said. "This is how we find people who run, guys. We depend on the good people of New York City."

"The good people of this city are calling in reports of Elvis and spaceships, not a serial rapist-killer," Fin muttered.

Munch slammed down the phone. " I mean, it can not be that hard to find a six-foot-four redhead with a tattoo of a snake on his face. Don't we have some kind of magic button or something we could push and get the guy?" he spat.

"No, Munch. We don't have a magic button," Cragen said rolling his eyes. "Damn conspiracy theorist."

Elliot slammed his phone down. "But, I know _someone_ who _does_," he said with a smirk.

* * *

They were all thoroughly searched and then led through a blue corridor. Three armed agents led them to a huge room and Elliot pressed his palm to the panel on the wall, making the doors slide open. They stepped through and Olivia, along with the new nine, were staring at a wall of monitors, each one running a different facial recognition scan from a different section of the city.

"Target is a redhead, over six-feet tall, tattoo of a snake-like reptile on the left side of his face, black ink with red-inked eyes," Olivia said, commanding the rookies to look for the man.

"Shit, you work fast," Elliot said, stepping toward her and putting one hand on her hip. She turned, instinctively, toward him, angling her body and her eyes in his direction. "I only called you five minutes ago," he said, staring at the wall of flashing faces.

"Amazing, isn't it? Running the fucking world?" she said with a smirk, and to his shock, she kissed him, right there in the media room.

"Commander! Upper East Side. Target is leaving a hotel, carrying a large brown duffle bag," young Stabler shouted.

"Commendable work, Stabler," Olivia said. "Captain Cragen, I've got men on stand by, they'll hold him, but it's _your_ collar."

Cragen nodded his thanks. "Fin, Munch, let's move!" The captain and the two detectives ran out of the room after a guard opened the doors.

Elliot looked at Olivia and grinned. "You just kissed me. In front of nine rookies, four guards, my entire unit _and_ my Captain."

"Yeah, you want me to do it again?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "I'm in a mood, El. A really _good_ fucking _mood_."

"Oh, we are gonna have _fun_ tonight, aren't we?" he asked, laughing. "By the way, do you know _if_ and _how_ I'm related to that kid?"

"He's your half-brother. An ordered agent, like you and me, but only your father's DNA was procured. Apparently, Joe was a willing donor. Your mother doesn't even know this kid exists," she said bluntly.

"Neither did I until this morning," he said, running a hand down her back. "So, why the frisky mood? Not that I'm complaining." He winked and rested his hand on her bottom.

"Well," she said. "I realized, that I _do_, in fact, _run_ the fucking _world_. The rules don't _apply_ to _me _anymore, and if I want to have a life, emotions, memories and a family, I'm going to." She snapped her fingers and the new agents sprang to their feet, stood at attention and saluted. Olivia smirked, still looking at Elliot. "Doesn't affect my power or my ability one bit."

Elliot grinned at Olivia, who had a brilliant sparkle in her eyes that he'd never seen in them before. "Did you just say _family_?"

Olivia smirked, not answering him, and turned to her rookies. "Haul out. Orange corridor five, you'll be drilled and briefed on one Ex-Agent Dean Porter. Personnel task forces have traced and linked him to a corrupt branch of the F.B.I. I want every single one of you to be an _expert_ on this man by oh-four-hundred."

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am," the rookies said in unison.

As they filed out, Elliot grabbed Olivia and kissed her. It was intense, passionate, and reckless, knowing they were the only ones left in the room. "You said 'family'," he whispered into her ear.

"Well, not right _now_. But, yes, El. I want a family. I want kids. _Your_ kids." She looked into his eyes, and his sparkle matched hers. "We can, uh, go home and start practicing. If you're not too busy with work," she said with a smirk.

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Why wait?" He pressed his palm to a second panel and the black shut-out doors slid closed over the glass ones as Elliot's lips closed over Olivia's.

**A/N: A new attitude! But, how long will it last? The rookie's do not take kindly to what they learn about Porter, and imagine the SVU crew's surprise when the F.B.I requests their help, and send in a certain agent to ask for it.**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Training the new nine, Elliot gets used to his wife's new outlook on life, and who does the F.B.I send to ask the SVU for help? **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Olivia scanned the room, looking at each rookie with a surge of pride and a wave of doubt. Three of these young men and women would not last long. She knew exactly who. "Taylor, Connor, Stabler," she called. "You three are, as of this moment, the _top_ ranked in your unit. As a result, you earned the right to join my taskforce, temporarily, of course. Hampton will ensure that you understand The Five, and he will give you all itineraries for the next three days." She saw the excitement in their eyes and remembered that feeling, being chosen to join Marsden's taskforce. It was a thrill. "Foldger, Pullman, Carter," she said. "You have got to _prove_ yourselves. Your work has been _lax_, you do _not_ take orders well, your attitudes are _astonishing_ and _one_ of you has a rotten temper. It took the Maintenance and Repairs taskforce an hour to plug up the holes you punched in the wall of your chamber, Carter." She reprimanded them for a few more moments, taking away certain privileges, and then filed out with her unit, including her three rookies.

The younger Stabler was very vocal as they walked through the blue corridor. "CIC, Ma'am, this Porter, he seems quite reprehensible. His crimes and actions against this agency and yourself were grounds for sanctioned termination. Has Welken been properly punished for his involvement in aiding Porter's escape?"

Olivia was impressed. This kid did his homework. "Well, Stabler, you've been given great interrogation skills and impressive intimidation training, haven't you?" she asked, knowing the answer, having read his files.

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am," he replied.

"Welken is in a holding cell. When we have apprehended Porter, I will supervise and you and your brother will try your hands at a Special Ops interrogation." She knew that having the three of them in a cell with Porter and Welken would be like putting a bomb in a room that was on fire, but she always _did_ love a good explosion.

* * *

Olivia and her unit walked into the sixteenth precinct and took the elevator up to the Special Victims Unit. They had gotten word from the Surveillance and Monitoring taskforce that someone unwelcome would be swinging by the unit today. As they entered the bullpen, the rookies and guards positioned themselves in and around the room with weapons at the ready, leaving no corner unguarded. Olivia took a seat at her desk and started signing her reports, figuring she'd get some work done while she was there. Elliot and Munch walked out of the pit, Munch trying to calm Elliot down.

"Man, he's not worth it! You're lucky Cragen convinced him not to press charges! You can not _beat_ a confession out of a _masochist_, Stabler! I think the fucker _got off_ on you hitting him," Munch said.

Elliot wiped his bloody knuckles off with a paper towel, saying "Yeah, well, so did I. And he couldn't press charges if he _wanted_ to." He threw out the bloody napkins and looked at his desk and he instantly softened. His eyes lit up and he walked right up to her and kissed her, hoping whatever mood she'd been in yesterday had carried over to today. It must have, because she deepened the kiss.

"Well, hello to you, too, El." she said as they pulled apart. Her unit didn't even notice, but Munch and Fin were smirking. Elliot ran his hands through her hair and asked, "What are you doing here, Benson? We didn't call you." She smirked and shook her head. "You don't have to _call _me, El. I show up when I know I'm _needed_."

No sooner did those words leave her mouth, did the man of the hour walk through the door. He had altered his appearance, now having more of a square jaw and darker features, but it was him. "I'm looking for Detectives Stabler and Tutuola." His eyes landed on Olivia, who had an evil gleam in her eye. He gulped.

Elliot, who didn't recognize him, because he wasn't trained in the fine art of recognition, said, "I'm Stabler."

The man walked over, nervously, and shook his hand. "I'm with the FBI, detective. We need your unit's help. We've been tailing a man for fraud and embezzlement and we have recently discovered that he may have committed several rapes in the area as well."

"Oh," Olivia said. "You're talking about F. Canzalli. He has been located and several agents are on that task right now. Before you arrived, your chief called _me _for help." She smirked and nodded at the two guards to her left, including young Stabler. "But, D. Porter, your trip _here _saved me an awful lot of trouble locating _you_." Young Stabler smirked, looking every bit like Elliot, and grabbed Dean by the arm, roughly.

"You really don't know who you just pissed off, do you? You hurt my sister-in-law, now you have to deal with me, my brother _and_ her," he said through gritted teeth. Dean's eyes widened as the young agent yanked on his shoulder, dislocating it with a pop. Oh, yeah. This kid was definitely a Stabler.

"Holy shit," Elliot said as the unit left with Dean. "That was Porter?" He wrapped an arm around Olivia, abashed that he didn't realize. "I didn't recognize him."

"Well, that's the _point_ of facial reconstruction, Elliot." Olivia patted him on the shoulder and grinned at him. "I didn't _expect_ you to know it was him. Neither did he, actually. He was counting on you _not_ to. I've got men bringing in this Canzalli guy, and you and Fin will interrogate him. Stick to the sex crimes, let the feds handle the rest. When that's done, come back to HQ."

"Why?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

Olivia replied. "Well, you said you couldn't wait to get your hands on Porter, right?"

"Yeah," Elliot said with a nod. "But, your guys just took him out of here. Who knows what they're gonna do with him?"

Olivia smirked. "They're putting him in a cell, where, later tonight, you, me and Mini-Elliot are going to have a nice chat with him and Welken. See, after he escaped, Porter's biggest fear changed _completely_. It isn't drowning anymore." She kissed him, slowly, licking his bottom lip, nibbling a bit as she pulled away.

"Oh," he said, trying to control his arousal. That was one hell of a kiss. "What is it?"

She smirked, gave him another quick peck on the lips and said, "You." She turned and walked out of the bullpen, followed by her remaining guards.

"Hi, Elliot," Munch said. "I'm planet Earth. Can you come back to me, now?" He waved a hand in front of Elliot's face and laughed.

"Huh?" Elliot asked. "What are you doing, Munch?"

"Man, I know that's one hell of a woman you got there, but you have been staring at the door since she left for a good five minutes. It was amusing, but we have work to do," Munch said with a chuckle.

* * *

Olivia stood in the corner, her arms folded across her chest, and the most amused smirk on her face. She had said nothing, had not moved, and Welken was near tears. Porter was shaking, his nerves were shot, and there were probably more broken bones in his body than whole ones. After Olivia had remembered what he did to her in the academy, she immediately told Elliot, and Elliot was defending his woman.

The younger Stabler was very good at this, too, the proverbial apple not falling very far from the tree. They both had the same temper, slamming their fists against the table at precise moments, gritting their teeth, grabbing the collars of the man they were interrogating. Of course, Elliot was much more violent, as he had not been trained to ignore impulses and anger. Watching them like this, side by side, in this capacity, it was clear that they were related and they must have both taken after their father.

"Please," Porter said. "It's part of the training. The girls must be desensitized, in every way, and it fell on my shoulders to handle the sexual and emotional aspects. I was following orders," Porter cried, as Elliot's fist collided with his face.

"No, see, that's what Benson thought, too. So, she checked the manual, and there is nothing in it that says you had the obligation to sneak into her room every night for a _month_ and _rape _her. The sexual impulses in the academy are controlled with _pills_ and standard _self control_, you moron," Elliot snapped.

"Ask Marsden. He ordered it," Porter yelled.

Young Stabler scoffed. "We would, you insipid fool, but because of you, R. White and the rest of your corrupt unit the man is deceased!"

Porter shook his head. "Not _that_ Marsden. _UCIC _Marsden! I really need to thank him one day. Best orders he ever gave me," Porter said with a bloody smirk.

Elliot lost it. He picked Porter up, threw him into the wall and started throwing kicks and punches. You could hear bones crush and crack with every blow. Olivia went from enjoying the show to being thoroughly scared. He was going to kill Porter.

"El," she cried.

Elliot didn't stop. "You knew that those orders were _not_ standard, you fuck! Why the hell would you do that to her, huh? You could have said 'no', or stopped when _she _said 'no'," he yelled as he hit and choked Porter.

"Elliot, stop!" Olivia cried. She ran over and pulled him off of Porter, and Elliot fought her, trying to get out of her grasp, still trying to kick the ex-agent who was now a crumpled, broken mess on the floor. "El, please, stop! You're gonna kill him!"

"Exactly!" he yelled as he nailed another kick to Porter's ribs.

Olivia threw him back against the far wall and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Elliot, I'm not going to let you kill him," she said. "It's not worth it."

"Oh, yeah it is," he countered.

Tears in her eyes, she whispered, "Trust me, it isn't. I know what it's like to have to live with the knowledge that you _willingly _and _maliciously_ took a human life. I know _you've_ killed people, but that was self defense, in the line of duty. _This_ wouldn't be, El. This would be cold-blooded _murder_, and I _can't _let you suffer with the guilt and the memory of that. It fucking _sucks_, Elliot."

He saw the tears fall from her eyes and he pulled her to him tightly, so the young rookie wouldn't see her cry, and said, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry," he said as he stroked her hair. Olivis starightened up and wiped her eyes. She turned and said, "We're done here, Stabler. If you could find Hampton and have these men _sentenced_, that would be _great."_ The young one nodded and tapped his communicator as Elliot pressed a hand to the panel, opening the doors for him and Olivia. He knew, as they stepped into the elevator, that this would be another sleepless night for her. She was terrified of what she might discover once she closed her eyes. Each new memory, now that she tapped into them, tore her apart for a little while. But, once she calmed down, it gave her the courage to build herself back up. Bigger, stronger and better than ever.

**A/N: Next chap: a new SVU case, a little lovin' and Fin meets a lady! **


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Holy Smutlet, Batman! Why does this child affect Olivia so strongly? And, hey, Fin, that redhead's kind of pretty. ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

Olivia was in her office, double and triple checking files, while on her headset with an agent. "Yes, I'm positive. Correct. That is according to his statement, which we have verbally recorded _and_ written." This had never been done before. She wasn't sure how, exactly, you went over the _head _of the person on the _top_, but she was trying like hell to figure it out. "I want copies of this sent to everyone on the committee and I will give a _personal_ account if I have to," she said. "Porter is only still _alive_ because he will have to tell his side of the story, _again._ Are you insane, Hamilton? I _couldn't_. I'm not trying to _overthrow_ him, I just want _answers_. It hasn't been done before me and it hasn't been done since, so either he did it because I'm his daughter, he did it because he wanted me to be _completely numb_ or he _didn't _do it and Porter is a lying sack of _shit_." She saw Elliot standing in the doorway out of the corner of her eye, and she smirked. "Yes, Hamilton. Thank you. Oh-four-hundred with the new nine." She tossed off her headset and spun her chair around. "You just have this_ thing_ about watching me from doorways."

"I have this thing about watching you, _period_." Elliot stepped into her office as she rose from her seat. "Come with me," he said, pulling her out of the stuffy, official space.

"Where?" she asked.

Elliot chuckled. "Right over here." He stopped her in front of a mirror in the hallway. "Close your eyes," he said.

Olivia cocked her head. "I hate when you tell me to do that," she said. "Something unexpected happens and I jump."

"Yeah, it's called a _surprise_, baby," he said sarcastically. "Close your damned eyes." She did as she exhaled sharply, and she felt him slip something around her neck. "Open 'em."

She opened her eyes, and when she looked into the mirror, reflected back at her was the most stunning necklace she'd ever seen. A sideways figure-eight, it looked like, completely encrusted with diamonds. On one end of one loop there was a single emerald, and on the other end of the other loop sat a single sapphire. "Elliot, it's beautiful," she gasped when she could finally speak. "But, why?"

"Happy birthday, Liv," he said, staring into her reflection's eyes.

Olivia furrowed her brow. "It isn't my..."

"Yes it is," he said. "May thirtieth."

"Oh," she said with a small smile. "I guess I didn't pay attention to the date." She lied. She was hoping he didn't _know_ that it was her birthday, and when she found out who told him, she was going to hurt them.

"That emerald," he said, pointing to the lonely green stone, "is your birthstone. My birthday's September thirtieth, the sapphire's mine. So, that side is _you,_ and this side is _me_. This is an _Eternity_ necklace, baby. The symbol here, see how it's _continuous_? If you follow the line and the curves, it doesn't stop? Just keeps taking you around and around, over and over?"

She nodded, tracing the jeweled figure with her finger.

"That symbolizes our love. It'll never end. Never stop. You and me, Liv, like the shape on this necklace, will last _forever_," he said as he saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"Jesus, El. You have to _stop_ fucking making me _cry_," she said with a laugh.

Elliot shook his head. "As long as their _happy_ tears, I'm not gonna do that."

She turned around to face him, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to her, kissing him. "Thank you," she whispered. "But, I want something else."

"You don't like the necklace?" he said, slightly shocked and hurt.

Olivia smiled. "El, I _love _it, baby. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, besides my rings. I meant, I want something else, _too_."

"Oh, well, it's _your_ birthday. Name it. What do you want?" he asked, with every intention of fulfilling whatever desire she commanded.

She pushed him lightly towed the couch and giggled when his knees buckled as he hit the arm, and he fell backward. "You."

"Oh, you don't even _need_ to _ask_," he said with a smirk. He pulled his shirt off and sat up, pulling her down on top of him. He kissed her, powerfully, hungrily, as he speedily unbuttoned her white shirt and tore it off of her torso. The rest of their clothes followed suite, as their kisses traveled from mouth to neck to shoulders. Elliot ran his hand up Olivia's body and she twitched, letting out a deep laugh. "Holy shit, El."

"What?" he said blinking. "I didn't know you were ticklish, I do that all the time. You've never jumped before."

Olivia looked at him. "_Benson_ the _Robot'_s not ticklish. _Olivia_, now that she's _loosened_ the _hell_ up and _completely_ given herself to _you_, might be a_ little_ bit sensitive," she said with shrug.

"Oh, that is gonna be _fun_," he said with an evil grin. "You should _not _have told me that." He flipped them over and sheathed himself inside her, slowly, filling her completely, and started moving to rhythm of his heart, that _always_ seemed to match _hers_. He got her going, and as he heard her moan, a low, sultry moan, he skimmed his fingertips over her side, causing her to buck up and giggle, and then cry out in pleasure. The jerking reaction caused him to go deeper and fill her even more. "I _told_ you it was gonna be fun," he said snidely.

Olivia rolled her eyes, bit her lip and moaned again. "My God, Elliot," she cried. He continued his low, deep,_ so_ deep, pace in tune with the beating of their hearts, speeding up when their pulse did, and every few minutes he give her a light tickle, causing her to thrust into him and scream. She already came, twice, he was _sure_. But he was relentless, aiming for a third one for her and his own prolonged release. "I love you, Liv," he said into her ear, as he felt her clenching around him, for the third time, and she squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth, holding onto him. "I love you, always," she whispered into his ear. "Let go." And he_ did_, squeezing his eyes shut, with one final thrust, he saw stars behind his eyelids and his whole body felt as if it was on fire. She ran her hands up and down as his back, easing him down and low on top of her, and she kissed him as sleep took them both away.

* * *

"All right, we'll just wait until she gets here and we can figure this out," Cragen said. "Until then, the kid seems to like _you,_ Munch."

"Um, yeah, I get that." Munch was being climbed upon, by a small boy, and was not happy about it. "It would be great if he could tell us more about the people who took his parents."

"Not _parents_. Just _Mommy_," the boy said, reaching for Munch's sunglasses. "And Grandma."

Fin laughed. "Good boy, go for the nose!"

"I'd try to rip out his eyebrows if I were you, bud," Elliot said with a chuckle. They heard the tell-tale click of boots and shuffling of Ops-issue leather-soles and they rose, out of habit.

"Okay," she said. "I'm supposed to be in London in four hours. What's the emergency?" Olivia walked over and kissed Elliot, then faced Cragen and the rest of the squad, running her new charm back and forth on its chain.

"This is Evan," Munch said. "He's four. He said last night a group of men in black suits came and took his grandma away."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. She leaned down to the boy, and her hard-ass demeanor dropped as her innocent-handling, nuturing, personality took over."Evan, sweetie, does your mommy know you're here?"

"That's the thing, Benson," Fin said. "The kid says that his granny _warned_ him this would happen. She _told_ him that four years ago, the same men came and took away his mommy."

"Evan," Olivia said, kneeling down to him. "Do you know your grandma's name?"

"Grandma, silly," the boy said, tugging on Munch's eyebrow.

Munch cried, "Ow! Thanks, Stabler. Give the kid another idea."

Elliot chuckled. "Hey, Evan, kick him in the..."

"Hey," Olivia said with a smirk. "None of that! Okay, Evan, honey. What is your _last_ name?"

The boy let go of Munch's hair and looked at Olivia. "Foldger."

She looked at the small boy, very closely, and she gasped. "Oh, my God. Stabler!"

"Yes, Ma'am," both Elliot and his half-brother, Damon, replied.

She rolled her eyes at her husband. "Not _you_, El, _Agent _Stabler, I want all files on rookie Foldger pulled and sent directly to my wrist unit. Hampton, I want her watcher located and brought in forthwith."

"Yes, CIC, Ma'am," the two agents said as they marched out to fulfill her requests.

"You think you know where his mother is?" Cragen asked.

Olivia nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "I have no idea _how_ this happened, but I think his mother is one of my _rookies."_

Elliot scratched his head. "But, I thought that agents couldn't..."

"El, _agents_ can't. They get their chips _in_ the academy. She had him _before_ they accepted her," Olivia said. "Meaning she could have only been thirteen or fourteen. Having a child would have made her an unfavorable candidate because women with children can _not_ be reprogrammed to _disregard_ their emotional connection to the outside world. Her watcher made a _huge_ mistake. Mothers and people who have already met their mates can _never_...oh," she stopped and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God. I get it now! I know why they wouldn't take you," she said turning first to Elliot then to Cragen. "If he would have been in my unit, then I wouldn't have been able to..."

"Yeah," Cragen said, interrupting. "Exactly."

"But, why did they take a _mother_? She's of _no _use to us. That explains why she's doing so _poorly_. How did she even _last_ in the academy?" Olivia was very puzzled. She looked at the child, who was now kicking him everywhere but where Elliot had _meant_. "Hey, Evan, honey, why don't you and Mr. Munch go down the hall and get some soft drinks and snacks while we try to find your mommy and grandma, okay?"

"Yay!" The boy hopped off of Munch's lap, pulling his hand.

"Okay, kid, I'm coming," Munch said, following the boy's tug. Casey Novak came in, with a briefcase and her file on the child as Munch and the boy left. Fin couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was stunning, really.

"Benson, I was told I had a child _abandonment_ case?" Casey asked shaking her new friend's hand.

Olivia simpered. "It might not be _that_ clear cut." She noticed Fin staring. "Fin, you _know_ Ms. Novak, right?"

"Uh, yeah, kinda. Hi," Fin said holding out his hand. When she shook it, a spark of heat ran up his spine. "We've, never really, uh, talked."

"No, we should," Casey said with a smile. "First, why don't you all tell me what we know about this boy."

Olivia sat her down, and prepared her for the world's most unbelievable story.

**A/N: It's official. I want an Elliot. At least, the way I create him. =) Want 32? Then Review! **


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: A watcher has disappeared, the men who took granny weren't from Ops, and Agent Foldger has a problem. And some cuteness?!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

"I assure you, gentlemen, these allegations have, thus far, proven to be quite true, and to the best of my knowledge they are all direct orders from UCIC Marsden. I'm coming to you, personally, because only you have the power, as the Committee, to take any disciplinary action against him, if it comes down to it. I am not, in any way, after the man's job. I've got enough trouble running things in two countries," Olivia explained. "I couldn't _possibly_ be able to control Special Ops in _fourteen_ others. This _isn't_ a personal vendetta, either. Up until a month ago, I was under the impression that every aspect of this agency was running _perfectly_ and up to standards. Now, it seems, that I have been left in the dark about an awful _lot_ of things. My first priority, As Commander of the agency, is to run it the way it should be run, according to its rules and guidelines and without harming anyone _unnecessarily_." She looked across the long table, directly into the U. S. President's eyes. "I am not going to pull any wool over anyone's eyes. I'm proving to you, as I've come to you with this information as soon as I received it, that I will not protect or hide or cover things the way CIC Marsden did. I'm sure, since the man is my father, UCIC Marsden expects me to do so, but, he fails to realize that my loyalties lie where they _belong_. With people who have _earned_ my _trust."_

The men around the table had much to think about. They had heard about the watcher pulling in a mother, which was against the policy of Special Ops. They had heard all accounts of Olivia's traumatic experiences in the academy at the hands, and other appendages, of Porter, which served no agency purpose other than to ensure Olivia's own emotional and personal numbness went deeper than other agents. They had heard about Marsden's refusal to admit an ordered agent because it was discovered that he would be in the same class as his mate, and instead of switching his academy or unit, he was dropped altogether. Lastly, they had been given files on Richard White, who stated in his confession that his assassination of Marsden Junior was ordered by Marsden Senior for the sole purpose of promoting Olivia. Corruption, it seemed, was the UCIC's favorite toy, and he played with it often.

She shook all of the hands, and said all of the goodbyes, making sure each man got out to his armored car safely and securely before walking, with Elliot by her side, into their living room.

"I just had dinner with the President, and the British Prime Minister," Elliot said, a gleam in his eye.

"Yep," Olivia said with a smirk. "And thirteen other powerful men, who, surprisingly, looked me in the eyes all night. _You _were the _only_ one who, uh, took a little visual journey to _boob-land_. Don't think I didn't see you do it," she teased. She sat on the couch and picked up the remote, finding a sporting event on TV that she was totally baffled by, but that Elliot loved, and grinning.

"Liv, you're my hot, sexy, gorgeous wife. When you walk, talk, eat, sleep, and _breathe_, I _want _you. You did all of the above in that room! What did you expect?" He sat down next to her and smirked.

"I didn't _sleep_," she countered. "And I _know._ I like when you look at me. It makes me feel wanted. And beautiful."

Elliot pulled her onto his lap. "Baby, you are _both_ of those things," he kissed her, probing her mouth with his tongue and rubbing her back. She moaned and smiled against his lips. Then, without warning, he snaked his hands around to her sides and started tickling mercilessly.

"Oh, Jesus, no," she said through her bout of maniacal laughter. "What the hell, baby? Stop, stop, stop," she cried. She was squirming, but he was strong and she was wriggly and weak from the sensation that was still new to her. "No, no, no."

Elliot was loving this. Laughter, from her, was so rare. She never let herself go like this before, and last night, when she said the only reason she was ticklish, with him, was because she had completely given herself to him, it made him melt. He slowly stopped tickling her, and wrapped her in a tight, warm, hug. "I love you, so much, Liv."

"I love you, too, El. Those words are so small, though. I wish I could tell you how I really feel." She peered down into his ocean-eyes.

"Show me," he whispered. She did, three mind-blowing times.

* * *

"What do you mean, you couldn't _find_ him?" Olivia asked, as Damon stood at attention in front of her desk at the SVU.

"CIC, Ma'am, I've spent hours running searches on four computers with eight separate programs. I can not locate Foldger's watcher." Damon, still stiff, shot a glance at his half-brother, who was looking lost and dreamily at Olivia. Damon smirked.

"At ease, Stabler," Olivia said, instantly relaxing Damon. "He has to be out there, somewhere. Go up to the fifth floor, here, and ask Missing Persons. Use his _real_ name, see if his family has reported him missing."

"You got it," he said, sounding just like Elliot. He ran out of the bullpen quickly.

Olivia shook her head. "I will never have to wonder what you were like as a teenager," she quipped, looking across her desk at him.

"But, I will always have to wonder what you were like as one," he said with a sigh.

Olivia hummed. "Like I am now, only shorter with longer hair, smaller boobs and _no_ personality." She smiled, and Elliot chuckled, sadly. He wished he could have protected her.

Munch came in, with little Evan wrapped around his leg, enjoying the min-ride he was getting with every step. "Okay, pal. Off. This is your stop, cause I have to sit down now."

"Hey, Evan," Olivia said. Her heart swelled and her eyes lit up when she saw this little boy, and Elliot noticed it. "We found your mommy. Do you wanna see her?"

"Yeah!" He yelled and jumped into Olivia's arms. She brought him back into the interrogation room and sat him in a chair, across from Agent Foldger, his mother. The young woman cocked her head at the boy, who was smiling brightly at her. "Hi, mommy," Evan said, waving a little hand.

Foldger turned and looked at Olivia. "CIC, Ma'am, there has been a gross error. I am not the one this child calls, 'mommy'. I have never had a child, nor do I have the desire to have one."

"Sorry, what?" Olivia was stunned. This was more confusing than anything. How could a mother not know her own child. Sure, it had been four years, but a mother always knows. Especially, one that has been genetically modified. "Foldger, this is Evan. He _is_ your son. The DNA test _proves_ it," Olivia said, quietly, so as not to upset the boy.

"CIC, Ma'am, I do not wish to doubt or disobey you, but you are mistaken. Commander Benson, I have no child." Foldger blinked, robotically, and stared at her.

Olivia scoffed at Foldger, her behavioral analysis training saying that Foldger didn't have _any _emotion running through her. "Yes, you do, and we are going to find out why you can't believe it." She walked over to Evan and knelt down. "Sweetie-pie, come with me. Mommy's very upset, and she doesn't want to talk right now." Evan shrugged and wrapped his little arms around her neck. "It's 'kay. She no wants me," he said as he sniffled into Olivia's hair. "No one does."

She put him down next to Elliot's desk and looked him in the little green eyes. "Evan, listen to me, honey. Your mommy and grandma love and want you very much. Mommy is just very confused right now, and we're still looking for your grandma. You are a sweet, lovable little boy and anyone would be lucky to have you in their lives," she said. "Do you understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah," Evan said, wiping his eyes and nodding. "I'm a cool kid."

Olivia laughed. "Yeah, buddy. You are," she said, tweaking his nose. "And until we find your grandma, you're gonna stay with me, okay?"

"And him?" he asked, pointing up at Elliot, who was watching the scene intently.

"Yeah, and him." Olivia wiped the little boys tears away and patted him on the butt. "Go beat up Munch." Evan ran off and leaped onto Munch's lap, and Elliot and Olivia laughed.

"We're really gonna take him home?" Elliot asked, wrapping his arms around his wife.

Olivia nodded. "She has no _idea _who he is. How could she _not_ remember her own child? What kind of mother doesn't_ know_ her baby, El?" she asked, her heart breaking with each question. "I swear, if the academy or Special Ops or Marsden had anything to do with this..."

"No, no, yes." Fin interrupted her and handed her a file. "We found granny, but she ain't exactly in good shape."

"Is this all accurate?" she asked Fin.

Fin nodded. "Those men who took her weren't from Ops. They were from Universal's security taskforce, all failures. Acting under Marsden's orders. Warner is trying to find out how to go about reattaching Foldger's whachamacallit, but it's gonna take time and research. She's lucky she survived the first brain-surgery, but going in for a second? It's risky. Aren't you glad you changed your mind, Baby-Girl?"

"Yeah," she said. "Who knew the amygdala controlled your entire heart?"

* * *

Olivia was standing in the doorway, watching Evan sleeping in the second bedroom of their penthouse. She didn't know how long she'd been there, but it must have been a while, because her leg was starting to cramp. "Baby, come on, he's fine. You don't have to watch him sleep all night," Elliot said, gently pulling her away from the door. The child had fallen asleep at the precinct, and Elliot had carried him into the car, then into their building, up the elevator and they both tucked him into bed, where he'd been ever since.

"El, is it wrong of me to feel the need to care for that child?" Olivia asked, curling into Elliot's lap.

"No, Liv. It's compassionate and sympathetic and so beautiful of you," he replied with a sweet kiss.

Biting her lip, something she hadn't done in a while, she asked, "Is it wrong of me to want to care for one that doesn't _exist_ yet?"

"Huh?" He looked down at her. "Who's having a baby?"

"No one," she said. "Yet."

Elliot chuckled. "Oh, God, Liv. You have the biggest heart, you know that? You can care for _everyone's_ kids. It'll never be _wrong_." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, "I love you, baby."

"I want a baby," she said.

Elliot looked at her, his blue eyes sparkling and glittering. "Is that some new agent code for 'I love you, too' or are you _serious_ right now?"

"El, being with Evan, seeing you play with him, and the way you tucked him in, it all made me realize that you would be such an amazing _father_, and I want nothing _more_ than to be able to _love_ and _know _our child." She sat up a bit and took his hands in hers. "I took a good look at Foldger and realized that I _could have_ ended up like her, completely _incapable_ of any kind of love. But, I'm _not_ like her. El, I love you, with everything I have, and I want to make you a _daddy_."

"Liv," he said, feeling a tear run down his cheek. "Do you _know_ what you'd be giving up?"

"Nothing. Nothing important. I'd be _getting_ everything I've ever _wanted_, El. It's a small _sacrifice_. I can run things from behind a _desk_ for a few years and Fin can handle the field with Damon." She cupped his face and looked deeply into his eyes. "Make me a mommy, Elliot."

"Your wish is my command, baby," he said, pulling her into an emotional kiss. "Wait, don't you need to get that chip removed?"

She smiled, blinking away a tear, and pulled up her sleeve, revealing a flesh-colored mesh bandage over her wrist. "I already did."

**A/N: Will Foldger remember Evan before he gets attached to Liv and El? How many watchers are missing? And what does Marsden have to say for himself? 33, coming soon, if you're still reading this, review it? **


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Evan makes a boo-boo and sets Liv off. Who's watching the potential agents? Who's watching the watchers? What happens when Olivia finds hers? Marsden speaks!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and its Characters belong to Dick Wolf. Storyline and dialogue, and narrative belong to TStabler©**

It had been two weeks, and Olivia showed no signs of exhaustion as she chased the young boy around her penthouse. She had her headset on, running through the hall, carrying a pair of Baby Gap Jeans, chasing a naked Evan. Elliot had managed to corner him and yank on a Pampers Pull-up, but the boy was off and running again. "Yes, Mr. President. That is correct. I know, it threw me for a loop as well, pardon me, Sir. Evan Alexander get your tushy over here and put these pants on, I am not running after you anymore," she said in a gentle but firm manner. The diaper-butted toddler wobbled over to her and held up his hands. "Sorry about that, Sir. No, sir. Just, um, babysitting. Why, thank you, Sir. We will be conferencing with UCIC Marsden at twenty-two-hundred-hours. Yes, Sir. Goodbye." She finished buttoning Evan's jeans, tugged on his shirt and smiled at him. "You have fun after bath-time, giving us a workout, don't you?"

Evan giggled. His green-eyes twinkled as Olivia tickled him. "Stop," he said with a childish laugh. Olivia did. She was working off of her innocent-handling skills, and was trained to listen when they gave a request. "Mom," Evan said, pointing to Olivia. "Play!"

Her eyes were wide. She was frozen. Elliot, shocked but still mobile, picked the little boy up and threw him in the air, catching him as he laughed loudly. "I think she's all played out, bud. You, kid, are going down to daycare so Olivia and I can go to work."

"Be home when?" he asked.

"We'll both be home at eight, we'll come get you and then you and me are gonna watch a soccer game while Olivia has her important grown-up talk with big, important men," Elliot explained as he took Evan into the elevator and headed down to the Ops childcare facility.

* * *

"This is the eleventh watcher that has proven to be missing in the last two weeks. It's a good thing you suggested trying to locate all of them, Commander. We've found four, but they have no recollection of ever having worked with Special Ops. Not one of them remembers their charge, the academy or their ID numbers." Damon waited, as did Fin, for acknowledgement from Olivia. "CIC, Ma'am?"

"Huh?" she asked, blinking and trying unsuccessfully to tear her gaze from the wall. "What?"

Fin balked. "Baby-Girl, you okay? Did you hear anything Stabler just told you?"

"Um, yeah, watchers and their ID numbers, charges at the academy. It's a good thing," she said waving her hand and furrowing her brow.

Damon narrowed his eyes. "Commander, I said all of those _words_, but not in _that order_, and none of what I said was _good._ We have seven watchers, including Foldger's, still missing."

"Oh," Olivia said. She shook her head and snapped into action. "Right, well, clearly someone is altering their memories to withhold information. We need to find the seven, and retrieve the ID numbers of the four we have so we can locate all of their past and current charges, uncover whatever dark secrets they've been forced to hide. In the meantime, do we have a Medical taskforce working on a way to give Foldger her emotional recognition back? Evan needs his _real_ mother. Fast. Before I _keep_ him."

Elliot, in his desk, understood now. Evan had called her "Mom" and she freaked. He just didn't know if she liked it or hated it, and they didn't have time to talk about it. He pushed it to the back of his mind, for now, and looked at Fin and Damon. "Okay, silly question. How could someone have altered their memory?"

"Watchers are not trained like agents. They're completely normal, fully functional, emotional people. They're susceptible to things like hypnotism, amnesia, mind-control, hypnotic drugs and of course, good old fashioned bribery," Fin said with a shake of his head.

Olivia turned to Elliot. "They're given their charges, or the future agents they have to watch over, based on their physical location, ability to get close to them, and emotional connection. Watchers generally grow to love their charges, and stick around long after the charge has either become an agent or failed out, like family. El, Cragen was your watcher. He thinks of you as a son."

"So, who was yours? Whoever it was, he or she must be pretty damn proud of you," he said with a smile.

Olivia bit her lip. "No. Not so much, El. So, where are the four we have?"

"In a holding cell at HQ. They're terribly confused, but they all _really _like the pretty _colors_," Damon said, mockingly.

* * *

They walked down the green corridor and turned left, stopping in front of a glass room. Olivia pressed a palm to the panel, opening the doors, and introduced herself. "I'm going to help you, I promise. I'm going to find your friends, and your family, and then someone will take you home. But, we need to do a few things first, and ask you some questions."

Damon had the four watchers line up and stand in front of Olivia.

"Okay, sir, just press your hand against this little box," Olivia said.

"Is it going to hurt?" the man asked, touching his palm to the scanner.

Olivia laughed. "No, you'll be fine. Good, see? No pain at all, right? Grant Newman. GN-four-two-one-five-nine," she said to Damon, who typed it into a computer. Olivia looked up and said, "Next." A tall, brunette in her mid-fifties stepped forward and Olivia stopped moving. "Oh, Stabler, I don't need to scan this one. SB-six-one-oh-nine-five. Simone Bryce. She was _my_ watcher."

"I know you," Simone said. "Don't I?"

Olivia nodded. "Yes, you do. You, uh, helped me out, a lot, when I was kid. And you made sure I got to school safely." She smiled at the middle-aged woman in front of her. "And then you just left," she said softly.

Simone's eyed widened, then she twitched. "No, I wouldn't have left. I don't think I would have just walked away." She twitched again. "I think someone told me something happened. That I had failed," she said with a jerk of her head. "Olivia?" she asked. When Olivia nodded, Simone's eyes rolled behind her head and she collapsed onto the floor, having a seizure-like attack.

"Oh, my God. Stabler! Get Warner! Now!" Olivia yelled, crouching down next to the fallen woman.

* * *

Outside the operating room, waiting for Warner to give them an update, Olivia was pacing, telling Elliot the story that she'd tried hard to forget. "Then, right before I left for the academy, my mother and I got into a huge fight. She had been drinking, heavily, and she came at me with the empty, broken bottle. I didn't _know_ how _strong_ I was at the time, I was just defending myself. I pushed her, and she went flying into the wall on the other side of the room. She hit her head, hard. I knocked her out. I ran to Simone for help. She, well, I _thought_ she was the one who prevented me from getting into trouble, but I was a genetic agent. I could have _killed_ my mother that night and they wouldn't have done anything." She sighed and sat down next to Elliot. "The day I entered the academy, Simone told me she was very proud of me, and that she _loved_ me, and that was the last time I saw her. I got a letter a week later, from her, telling me she never wanted to see me again. That I was a disgrace and she was horribly disappointed in me. I just didn't understand what I had done."

"Baby, you know _she _didn't write it. It was probably Marsden, making sure you were emotionally disconnected," Elliot said, wrapping an arm around his wife.

"Well, yeah, El," Olivia said, rubbing her forehead against his. "I know that _now_. I didn't when I was fourteen and scared and alone and having all of my emotions and memories siphoned away one by one. That letter was the driving force, the thing that pushed me, so hard, to be the first one to pass the resilience test. I went cold."

Elliot kissed her. "Well, you're a whole, warm, person now, and _I _love you and when Simone wakes up I'm going to thank her for keeping you safe," he said, kissing her again. "But, right now, you have a meeting to go to. I'm gonna go pick up Evan and then wait with him, here. I know you'd want someone here with Simone," he said, smiling at her.

"I love you," Olivia said, kissing him, deeply. "Thank you."

* * *

The room was packed. The men on the committee, and Olivia, were sitting around the table, staring at the screen, drumming their fingers and tapping their feet. It was going on eleven o'clock and Marsden was over an hour late.

"Commander Benson," the Prime Minister said, "Are you sure he said he'd be contacting us with a statement _tonight_?"

Olivia glared at the blank screen. "Yes, Sir. My guess is he's spent the last hour trying to come up with a good _lie_ to get himself out of the pile of _manure_ he has landed in, and _couldn't_, so he's chickening out."

The screen blipped to life, making everyone in the room jump, as Marsden appeared in front of them. "Commendable guess, Commander, but wrong. I'm too proud of my accomplishments to deny them by lying my way out of any consequences, but, I'm certainly not going to just roll over and take my beating like a sick puppy." Marsden cackled, then leaned into the monitor. "I do not deny any of these charges. Everything you have accused me of, I'm guilty of, and so much more, and I'm quite appalled that my _failure_ of a son missed _every _single indiscretion. That's why he _had_ to go. But _you_, Commander Benson, you have made me incredibly _proud._ I knew you would serve well, become a genetic _anomaly_ and rise to power, leading with grace, dignity and, dare I say it, _honesty_. But, now is your chance to prove to your father how good you _really_ are. You have forty-eight hours to locate and capture _yours truly_. If the task is completed successfully, I will step down and willingly hand the reigns of Universal Ops over to _you_, sweetheart, and disclose all of the corrupt little secrets that you've been digging for. If you _don't_, you'll _never_ find me and the Second-in-Command will take over and clean things up, leaving the secrets buried and the mysteries unsolved. Darling daughter of mine? Catch me if you can." He smirked as the screen faded to black.

**A/N: Oh, her daddy's playing games! Thoughts? Reviews? How do you think Liv felt about being called 'Mom'? **


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: It's my BIRTHDAY! Reviews make awesome presents!! Are they going after Marsden? Is Olivia's watcher okay? What about Evan and Foldger? **

**DISCLAIMER:** **All characters and cites of SVU belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue and anything Original belong to TStabler©**

Lying on top of him, looking into his eyes, sweaty, naked, completely satisfied and happy, Olivia wanted nothing more out of life at this moment. Well, that wasn't true. She wanted to feel a little tiny Elliot growing inside of her, but she knew that it would take time. She kissed him and he smiled at her. "I love you," she said as she rolled off of him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, missing the feel of her against him.

She padded into the bathroom and turned on the hot water, shouting out to him, "Work." She stepped into the shower and reveled in the heat, until she felt it get slightly cooler. She turned to fix it but a hand stopped her.

"You know I can't stand it when it's that hot," Elliot said, kissing her under the spray of the water.

"Baby, go to sleep. You don't need to be awake right now." She ran a hand through his now-wet hair.

He shook his head and reached for the body wash. "I want to be with you, Liv. Every second of every minute or every day." He washed every inch of her body, and she did the same for him. And when they rinsed the suds off, and kissed sweetly, little Evan screamed for his mommy.

Wrapped in matching fluffy white robes, Olivia and Elliot ran into his room and he leaped out of the bed and jumped into Olivia's arms, scared out of his little mind. "Shh," Olivia said, running a hand through his hair, calming him. "What happened, Evan?"

"Men came, took you," he sobbed. He clutched onto her robe and wiped his eyes on her collar.

"Oh, Even, it was just a bad dream," she said sweetly. "I'm right here."

"No leave, mom," he cried.

Olivia's heart broke. "Evan, honey. I have to go. But, I'm only going to work. I will come back."

"I know," he said, softly.

Olivia hugged him tight. "I promise. I will always come back for you. So will Elliot."

"Dad," he said.

Elliot's heart stopped. "What?" he gasped.

"Mom," Evan said as he pointed to Olivia. He pointed to Elliot and said, "Dad." Then he pointed to himself and said, "Son," looked up into Olivia's eyes, rested a hand on her belly and said, "baby," and then looked at Elliot and said, "family."

A tear rolled down Olivia's cheek and she dropped Evan gently to the floor. As much as she _wanted_ to tell Evan that he was right, the little boy couldn't have been _more_ _wrong_.

* * *

Her task-vest was getting heavy, weapons and magnets and snaps threatening to fall and pop. This was the longest chase she'd ever been involved in, and her legs were nothing but a motion-blur of black as she sped down the sidewalk, pushing passed people and weaving through vendors. She was in Chicago, trailing the UCIC, and she'd had him in her sights for the last three miles, chasing him on foot, while the stealth copter above them tried to get low enough to drop agents with weapons and a net. "Hampton, Stabler, let's finish this!" she barked into her communicator.

"CIC, Ma'am, he's changing direction too often and too fast, you're the only one who can keep up with him. Even the copter's swerving on a delay," Hamilton replied.

"She's not the _only_ one," Damon chirped, sounding offended. She looked up and, for a moment, she thought he was Elliot, but Damon was a few feet in front of her, running from a different direction, and they both reached Marsden at the same time, tackling him at once, and they fell to the ground in a pile of tangled limbs.

"Okay," he breathed. "You got me." He turned and looked at Olivia. "Good girl," he said with a smile. "All right, UCIC, Benson, Ma'am. Dictate, carry and then ask me what you want to know."

"Ex-Universal-Commander-In-Chief-Marsden, you have violated the conditions and terms of service agreement you swore to abide by as the consummate leader of Special Ops. The crimes you have committed are punishable by _death_. Stabler, escort B. Marsden to the transport vehicle."

"Yes, UCIC Benson, Ma'am," Damon said, picking Marsden up by his cuffs and walking him toward the hovering copter and handing him off to Hamilton. They called her UCIC. That made her _feel_ funny. Watching the unaffected man walk, almost willingly, into custody with a smug attitude and pride, made Olivia sick to her stomach, and knowing that she had to sit and listen to detailed accounts of everything that he'd done, knowing it would screw with everything she believed, everything she thought to be true, _that_ made her dizzy. Down she went.

Damon ran over and caught her before she hit the ground, and carried her into the stealth chopper, worried, confused, and scared as hell of what Elliot would do if she didn't wake up before they got back to New York.

She woke up, thank God, ten minutes later, and began her interrogation of Marsden on the helicopter, as an in-flight medic checked her out. By the time they landed, she had heard enough. She demanded that Hamilton take him directly to a high-security holding cell and she stepped out of the copter, unknowingly, into Elliot's waiting arms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Damon called me. He said you fainted. Are you okay?" he asked, worried, running his hands over her.

Olivia nodded. "I'm fine." She took him by the hand and led him away from the landing pad, back into HQ. "Marsden gave me his full confession. I just found out that," she paused and took a deep breath. "The watchers of certain agents were taken and virtually _erased_ because their charges were all incredibly invaluable, and in order to keep them _controlled_, all emotional ties needed to be severed and anyone outside of the agency was forbidden to know their_ secrets_. That's the same reason he ordered Porter to do what he did to me, and kept _you_ out of the academy, because you would have made me an emotional _mess_ at fifteen. I was too _special_ to take any chances with, and they went to _extremes_ to ensure my success."

"What about Foldger? What was his _excuse_ for taking a _mother_?" he asked, rubbing her fingers with his thumb. "What about Evan?"

"El, he _didn't_ take Foldger into the agency to make _her_ an agent," she said blinking back tears. "_Evan_ is the _real_ charge. Marsden ordered his mother and his grandma taken away from _him _to force _him_ to lose the connections."

"I don't understand, why didn't they just wait until he was fourteen like they usually do?" he asked, following Olivia down the hallway to the medical ward.

"Evan is special. They were trying to get him alone, unguarded, so they could take him _immediately_. If manipulated and trained, he could have been an incredible _weapon_," she said, pressing a palm to the panel of the hospital wing.

Stepping through the doors, Elliot asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Evan's what Special Ops would call an Oracle, El. The boy can_ read_ people. He's _psychic_." She snapped her head toward him and a tear rolled down her cheek. "He can pick up on thoughts and feelings, he has incredible intuition, and he sees and talks to things that aren't there. Or that aren't there, _yet_. Or that you just didn't _know_ were there." The tears fell faster, but quietly.

Elliot pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "Okay, baby, so we've got ourselves a little Kreskin. We can handle it. Why are you crying? They didn't take him. We got to him first and he's _safe_. It could be kind of _cool _having a little fortune-teller running around," he said, smiling at his wife.

"Oh, El, I'm not crying because I'm _sad_. Evan is never _wrong_, baby. _Never_." She knocked on the glass door and waved at Simone, lying in a recovery bed, who waved back at her, and Evan, who was sitting on the bed with her, jumped up and ran to the door. Olivia pressed a palm to the panel and the doors slid open. She lifted the boy into her arms and looked back up at Elliot. She pointed to herself and said, "Mom." She pointed to Elliot and said, "Dad." She touched Evan's nose and made him giggle and said, "Son."

Elliot caught on, and he gasped. A tear rolled down his own cheek as he gently wrapped both hands around her waist. "Baby," he said, in a trembling whisper.

Evan nodded. "Family," he said. "Happy family."

Elliot cupped Olivia's face and kissed her, tasting both of their tears. "Hell yeah, I'm happy. I'm a daddy?"

"You're a daddy," she said, nuzzling him. "And I'm a mommy," she said, sniffling.

"Brother," Evan yelled with a smile, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. Elliot and Olivia laughed, then stepped through the glass doors to spend a few minutes with Simone before going home to let the realization of their changing lives sink in.

**A/N: I gave them a baby for my birthday! There isn't much more to go with this story, but there will be a sequel! In the next chapter: Does Olivia turn down the post as UCIC? Does Foldger get her memory back and if she does, does she go to get her son? REVIEWS for my BDAY??**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's taken a while to post this, but I had a lot to post! lol. Here's chapter 35, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:** **All characters and cites of SVU belong to Dick Wolf. Narrative, Plot, Dialogue and anything Original belong to TStabler©**

Olivia was pacing back and forth in her office. She had a room full of important people downstairs waiting for hair. She ran a hand down to her belly and froze. There was a little, tiny, life inside of her. A creation, half of her and half of the only person who knew everything about her and still loved her, a baby. She told Elliot once that she didn't mind taking some time off, working from her office as nothing more than an administrator for a year, but if she accepted the job that was thrown at her this time, Universal Commander In Chief, she'd never have to go out in the field again. _Everyone_, every government official that ever made a mistake or would have to answer to her. All decisions would be made by her. An agent couldn't do _anything _without clearing it with her. All interrogations and interviews, from now on, were to be handled by her, according to _her _policies. New rules and regulations had to be approved _by her_. She'd be running the whole fucking show, from the comforts of her office.

She wasn't sure how the President, Prime Minister and seventy-five other _men_ would feel about having to answer to a _woman_, but, the pros outweighed the cons. She'd be safer, she'd have more time with the baby and she could spend more time at SVU with Elliot, and she could get her fieldwork in from there, going on calls, chases and stakeouts with him, instead of fourteen Special Ops agents with no personalities.

Then again, what if she didn't want to be with Special Ops at all? She had lost faith in her agents, her agency, and she had found out, little by little, over the course of this past year, that her whole life had been planned, and manipulated, and everyone she had ever met, with the exception of Elliot, had lied to her. If she left, she and Elliot could have a normal life. There was no precedent for an agent walking out. The only way out, especially for someone like Olivia, was death.

She took a deep breath and nodded to no one. She turned on her heels, confident in her decision, the one she had just made, and walked out of her office. She pressed a palm to the panel near the elevator, and stepped into the gold, sliding doors. "Good Morning, CIC Benson, Ma'am," her 'Vator Guard said.

"You do realize, Abrams, that_ that_ was the _last_ time you will _ever_ call me that," Olivia said, smirking.

"Yes, Ma'am. I do." Abrams pressed a palm to the panel in the lift, and the elevator started it's decent.

* * *

The medical wings doors slid open and Olivia ran through them, panicking. "What happened?" she cried, her eyes landing on Elliot, who was holding a sleeping Evan. She kissed her husband tenderly, and placed a soft kiss on the boy's head.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting," Doctor Warner said, "But, Foldger's out of surgery and she wouldn't stop screaming until I told her she could speak with you. She remembers everything, and she's asking about Evan." Warner looked at Olivia, cocked her head to the side and smiled. "You're with child, Commander!"

"I'm not 'Commander' anymore, Warner," Olivia said, her heart breaking and bursting at the prospect of losing Evan. "And yes, I am."

Warner's eyes widened. "Congratulations. And, what do you mean you're not the..."

Olivia interrupted her, holding up her hand. "Thanks, and later. Where's Foldger?"

"Right this way. All three of you, please, follow me." Warner led the family, or at least they were a family at the moment, down the corridor to a recovery room. She pressed a palm to the panel and the doors slid open. Foldger was lying awake, crying, in her bed and she hung her head in shame when she saw Olivia come in, followed by Elliot carrying her son.

"Commander, I feel so...ashamed...what kind of mother forgets her child?" Foldger shook her head and looked up. "I can't believe he was right in front of me I didn't know him."

"No one blames you, Foldger," Olivia said, sympathetically. "None of this was your fault."

Foldger dropped her eyes, again. "Yes it was."

Elliot spoke up, then. "What do you mean?"

"I was young, Commander. Evan was a mistake. I kept him, because I thought a child would love me, no one else in my life did. But, I...I didn't love him. I hated being pregnant. I felt nothing for the thing growing inside of me, except that I wanted it out. Everyone kept telling me that it was normal to fell like that, but I would fall in love with him when I saw him, and held him for the first time. When the nurse handed him to me, though, I felt nothing. We went home, and three days later, there was still nothing. I didn't love him, Commander." The bedraggled agent broke down and cried.

"Oh, Foldger," Olivia brushed a hair out of her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed.

Foldger continued. "I couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. I hated when he cried. I didn't want to feed him. I couldn't stand to look at him. When Even was six months old, these men came to our house told me that I could get away from it all, they gave me a way out, a way to give him up. They told me that they were from an academy that gave second chances to people who had to drop out of school, like me, and that I could go with them, to start over, with no baby. No one would have to know that I made such a horrible mistake. I took the chance."

Elliot shook his head, sorrowfully. "That doesn't mean this is your fault, Foldger, they lied to you, you were doing what you thought was best for you at the time, and you were going through post-partum..."

"No, I wasn't, Sir. When I woke up this morning, I had to see you to tell you that in the short time that you've had Evan, you've shown him more love than I have, and I'm his mother. I'm looking at him right now, and I _still _feel _nothing_. Post-partum depression does _not_ last for five years, Sir."

Olivia choked. "Maybe I should call Dr. Huang. He could..."

Foldger looked up at Olivia and sighed. "Dr. Huang talked to me already. I know I'm not a real agent, I know they only wanted Evan, and I know that he's only safe because of the two of you. I'm not thankful, because I honestly do not have any feelings for that boy. You _do_. I've asked a lawyer to have the papers drawn up this morning. Commander Benson, SIC Stabler, if you want him, he's yours."

Olivia looked up at Elliot, the tears already falling silently from both of their eyes. "I told you, Elliot."

"I know, Benson. Evan's never wrong." Elliot looked down at the sleeping child, and a slow, sneaky smile spread across his angelic face, as if maybe, just maybe, he wasn't really sleeping at all.

* * *

They stepped through the gold elevator doors and Elliot sped through the hall to put Evan in his room. When he stepped back out into the living room, he saw Olivia coming out of her office with three large cardboard boxes. She began taking all of their DVD's and DC's off of the entertainment center shelves and stacking them in one of the brown containers.

"What the hell, Liv?" he asked, running over to her.

"Um, we have to pack, El. We have to be out of here by tomorrow night," Olivia said, calmly.

Elliot's jaw dropped. "What? When did this happen? When were you going to tell me? Didn't you think this was something we needed to discuss?"

"I didn't have time to discuss it, El. They needed a decision. I gave them one." She kicked the box and started taking the picture frames off of the shelves and wall.

"You quit, and thought that it wasn't a big enough deal to at least give me the heads up? Where are we supposed to go? Do you know how hard it's going to be to find a place we can afford on my salary in Manhattan?"

"Pretty damn easy, El." Olivia smirked. "Our new building is on the Upper East Side. We have a two floor penthouse, tighter security, and a maid."

He looked at her, confused, and pressed his lips together. "What?"

"I didn't quit, you dope. Remember when I told you I thought it was a lot of fun running the world?" she asked, putting the last of the photos in the box and wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah," he said, running his hands up her back. "Why?"

"Well, imagine how much of a fucking blast we're going to have running the _universe_," she said with a wink.

Elliot's eyes slowly got bigger as he realized what he had just heard. "You took the job?" She nodded. "Liv, you took the job!" He picked her up and kissed her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He supported her weight with one hand as he pulled his head away from hers. "But, baby, you loved going out there and being Superwoman. Aren't you gonna miss it?"

"No, I'm not. I get to be _Supermommy_, and there's always the cases I get to work with you to keep me busy. Besides, who's stopping me from going on a task if I want? I make the fucking rules!" She kissed him again, and then looked at him, seriously. "Evan's really ours."

"Yeah, baby, he is. And he is _asleep_." Elliot smirked as he pulled Olivia's shirt off over her head, and kissed her passionately. Carrying her over to the couch, he planned to make the most of their last night in this penthouse, and he grew very excited about the two floors worth of rooms they'd need to start christening tomorrow night.

**A/N: Happy ending...for now! Reviews!!! **


End file.
